Paternal Age and Transgenerational Telomere Length Maintenance: A Simulation Model

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Demography

Background:

• Offspring telomere length (TL) shows a positive correlation with paternal age at conception (PAC).
• The biological implications of the PAC effect on TL at the population level remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the transgenerational effects of PAC on TL using a probabilistic model.
• To explore the role of PAC in population-level TL dynamics and adaptation over 1,000 years.

Main Methods:

• Development of a probabilistic model incorporating transgenerational TL dynamics and population dynamics.
• Simulation of the PAC effect on TL across 1,000 years.
• Analysis of the relationship between PAC, TL, and cancer incidence.

Main Results:

• Identification of an isometric PAC midpoint (PACmp) that modulates TL across generations.
• Offspring conceived by younger fathers (< PACmp) exhibit shorter TL, while those conceived by older fathers (> PACmp) show longer TL.
• A decrease in average PAC below PACmp is associated with transgenerational adaptation to escalating cancer incidence through TL shortening.

Conclusions:

• PAC plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal TL across generations.
• The PAC mechanism may facilitate transgenerational adaptation to environmental pressures, such as increased cancer incidence.
• The study proposes a novel link between paternal age, TL, and population-level evolutionary adaptation.