Abstract
Despite ~80% of all animal species undergoing metamorphosis, the effect of this dramatic developmental process on telomere dynamics is unknown. Given that the rate of telomere shortening has been shown in non-metamorphosing species to be influenced by environmental harshness, the question arises as to whether the re-modelling of tissues that occurs during metamorphosis allows an individual to re-set its telomeres and so leave behind this legacy of past environments. This issue is pertinent to amphibians, a group likely to be heavily impacted in the larval stage (i.e., before metamorphosis) by environmental events such as global warming. We will first briefly discuss the current knowledge gaps in the study of amphibian telomeres, then present new data on telomere length across different tissues and developmental stages (from larva to adulthood) in the frog Xenopus laevis. We will also examine the impact of warming conditions before and after metamorphosis on amphibian telomeres and telomerase. Our results show that telomere length is affected not only by the rate of somatic growth, but also by the degree of metamorphic transformation experienced by particular tissues: during metamorphosis, telomere length can either decline, remain stable or dramatically increase. Furthermore, this life history transition seems to be able to buffer the impact on telomeres of harsh conditions in early life. This leads us to suggest directions for future research on telomere dynamics in amphibians and other species with complex-life cycles.
Published Version
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