Age-correlated changes in expression of micronuclear damage and repair in Paramecium tetraurelia

In Paramecium, age is defined as the number of mitotic divisions which have elapsed since the previous cross-fertilization (conjugation) or self-fertilization (autogamy). As the mitotic interval between fertilizations increases, the percentage of nonviable progeny clones increases. In the current study, resolution of conflicting previous reports on the pattern of increase of death and reduced viability in progeny from aging parent cells is found. Some exautogamous clones exhibit a high mortality at young clonal ages, others show no mortality throughout their life span, but most (73%) show an abrupt increase in the percent death and reduced viability in progeny from cells 50-80 fissions old. Ultraviolet-irradiation-induced micronuclear mutations, repairable by photoreactivation, increased with increased clonal age when monitored by percent death and reduced viability of exautogamous progeny of irradiated cells. Loss of dark repair is considered a contributor to the increased expression of micronuclear mutations with increased clonal age.