Abstract
Mice deficient for the mouse telomerase RNA (mTR(-/-)) and lacking telomerase activity can only be bred for approximately six generations due to decreased male and female fertility and to an increased embryonic lethality associated with a neural tube closure defect. Although late generation mTR(-/-) mice show defects in the hematopoietic system, they are viable to adulthood, only showing a decrease in viability in old age. To assess the contribution of genetic background to the effect of telomerase deficiency on viability, we generated mTR(-/-) mutants on a C57BL6 background, which showed shorter telomeres than the original mixed genetic background C57BL6/129Sv. Interestingly, these mice could be bred for only four generations and the survival of late generation mTR(-/-) mice decreased dramatically with age as compared with their wild-type counterparts. Fifty percent of the generation 4 mice die at only 5 months of age. This decreased viability with age in the late generation mice is coincident with telomere shortening, sterility, splenic atrophy, reduced proliferative capacity of B and T cells, abnormal hematology and atrophy of the small intestine. These results indicate that telomere shortening in mTR(-/-) mice leads to progressive loss of organismal viability.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2950-2960 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | EMBO Journal |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1999 Jun 1 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Neuroscience(all)
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Immunology and Microbiology(all)