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Patterns of age-specific means and genetic variances of mortality rates predicted by the mutation-accumulation theory of ageing.

A general quantitative genetic model of mutations with age-specific deleterious effects is developed. It is shown that, for the simplest case of a species with age-independent reproductive rates and extrinsic adult mortality rates, and no pleiotropic effects of age-specific mutations, exponential increases with age of both the mean and additive genetic variance of age-specific mortality rates are expected. Models where age-specific mutations have pleiotropic effects on mortality that extend either throughout adult life, or are confined to juvenile stages, produce equilibria with exponential increases in the mean and additive variance of mortality rates during much of adult life. However, the rates of increase diminish late in life, and can even become zero. Predictions concerning the additive genetic correlations in mortality rates between different ages are also developed. The predictions of the models are compared with data on humans and Drosophila.

Aging↗

Reactive oxygen species production in the mitochondrial matrix: implications for the mechanism of mitochondrial mutation accumulation.

The vicious cycle theory postulates that typical mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations cause their host mitochondria to generate more superoxide and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) than do normal mitochondria, thereby promoting the occurrence of additional mtDNA mutations at an ever-accelerating rate. However, nearly all the loss-of-function mtDNA mutations seen in vivo are large deletions, which (as the original statement of the theory indeed noted, though this has been widely overlooked) should not trigger a vicious cycle because they will prevent the assembly of the potentially superoxide-generating enzyme complexes. Consistent with this is the observation that each cell exhibiting loss of mtDNA-encoded function in vivo contains copies of a single, evidently clonally expanded, mutant mtDNA species, whereas the vicious cycle theory predicts a spectrum of mutant forms in each cell. Two recent papers, however, unveil a way in which mtDNA mutations could indeed promote ROS production of their host mitochondria. MtDNA mutations probably shift the intramitochondrial NAD(+)/NADH redox couple towards NADH, and this is now shown in vitro to cause ROS production by alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, an essential enzyme of the TCA cycle. This does not revive the vicious cycle theory, but it has complex implications for the two most plausible more recent theories, known as "survival of the slowest" and "crippled mitochondria." It may also prove to explain other recent observations in mitochondrially mutant cells in vivo.

Cell Proliferation↗

Rate of thymidine analogue resistance mutation accumulation with zidovudine- or stavudine-based regimens.

Zidovudine (ZDV) and stavudine (d4T) select for the same set of thymidine analogue resistance mutations (TAMs). To compare the rate at which TAMs emerge, genotypic analysis of HIV-1 was performed on serial plasma samples from treatment-naive subjects randomly assigned to receive ZDV or d4T in combination with lamivudine. After 72 weeks of follow-up, TAMs were detected in samples from 50% of ZDV-treated subjects and 45% of d4T-treated subjects (P = 0.79). The frequency of K70R and T215Y or F mutations was similar in both groups, although M41L was observed more frequently in samples from ZDV-treated subjects. This randomized study shows that TAMs accumulate at similar rates during treatment with ZDV or d4T, but the specific pattern of mutations may differ somewhat in patients treated with these thymidine analogues.

Drug Resistance, Multiple, Viral↗

Deleterious mitochondrial DNA mutations accumulate in aging human tissues.

This paper reviews the current state of knowledge of the contribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations to the phenotype of aging. Its major focus is on the discovery of deletions of mtDNA which previously were thought to occur only in individuals with neuromuscular disease. One particular deletion (mtDNA4977) accumulates with age primarily in non-dividing cells such as muscle and brain of normal individuals. The level of the deletion rises with age by more than 1000 fold in heart and brain and to a lesser extent in other tissues. In the brain, different regions have substantially different levels of the deletion. High levels of accumulation of the deletion in tissues are correlated with high oxygen consumption. We speculate that oxidative damage to mtDNA may be 'catastrophic'; mutations affecting mitochondrially encoded polypeptides involved in electron transport could increase free radical generation leading to more mtDNA damage.

Aging↗

Mutation accumulation in growing asexual lineages.

The stochastic loss of entire classes of individuals bearing the fewest number of mutations-a process known as Muller's ratchet-is studied in asexual populations growing unconstrained from a single founder. In the neutral regime, where mutations have zero effect on fitness, we derive a recursion equation for the probability distribution of the minimum number of mutations carried by individuals in the least-loaded class, and obtain an explicit condition for the halting of the ratchet. Next, we consider the case of deleterious mutations, and show that weak selection can actually accelerate the ratchet beyond that achieved for the neutral regime. This effect is transitory, however, as our results suggest that even weak purifying selection will eventually lead to the complete cessation of the ratchet. These results may have important implications for problems in biology and the medical sciences.

Models, Genetic↗

Pharmacokinetics, biochemical mechanism and mutation accumulation: a comprehensive model of chemical carcinogenesis.

Chemical carcinogenesis is a process beginning with carcinogen absorption and ending with development of a malignant tumor. Individual elements of this process have been studied intensively but no comprehensive model has been developed. This report describes a comprehensive model which incorporates carcinogen pharmacokinetics, biochemical mechanism of action, and the resultant mutation of normal cells to malignancy. Model parameters correspond to specific physiological and biochemical structures and processes. The model was encoded in a simulation language and used to examined biochemical and cellular effects of exposure to an initiator and a promoter. With laboratory validation, the model should be useful for interpretation and design of studies on carcinogenic mechanisms and for risk assessment.

Carcinogens↗

Mutation accumulation in nuclear, organelle, and prokaryotic transfer RNA genes.

A comparative analysis of the transfer RNA genes in the genomes of the major kingdoms of eukaryotes and prokaryotes leads to the general conclusion that the rate of evolution of organelle tRNA genes is typically equal to of greater than that of their nuclear counterparts. Situations where this is not the case, most notably in vascular plants, are attributable to an elevated mutation rate in the nuclear genome. Through a comparison of rates of mutation with rates of nucleotide substitution, it is shown that there is a reduction in the efficiency of selection on new mutations in organelle genes. Numerous lines of evidence, including observed reductions in stem duplex stability and changes in loop sizes, suggest that the excess changes observed in the organelle genes are mildly deleterious. Uniparental inheritance of organelles causes a reduction in the efficiency of selection through the joint effects of an increase in linkage disequilibrium and a decrease in effective population size. These results provide molecular support for the idea that asexually propagating genomes are subject to long-term, gradual fitness loss and raise questions about the role of organelle mutations in the long-term survival of major phylogenetic lineages.

Animal Population Groups↗

Mutation accumulation in the intestine and colon of mice deficient in two intracellular glutathione peroxidases.

Mice deficient in two glutathione peroxidases (GPX), Gpx1 and Gpx2, [Gpx1/2-double knockout (DKO) mice] are prone to ileocolitis on a mixed C57BL/6 and 129S1/SvJ (B6.129) genetic background. We reported previously that approximately 25% of B6.129 Gpx1/2-DKO mice develop ileocolonic tumors by 6 to 9 months of age, when their non-DKO littermates [having at least one wild-type (WT) Gpx1 or Gpx2 allele] rarely have inflammation and none have tumors. Because genetic background affects tumor susceptibility, we have generated a B6 Gpx1/2-DKO colony and discovered that these mice have fewer inflammatory cells, milder ileocolitis, and low mortality, and only 2.5% of B6 mice developed tumors. The mutant frequency of a cII reporter gene was about 2- to 3-fold higher in 28-day-old Gpx1/2-DKO and 4-fold higher in 8-month-old Gpx1/2-DKO ileal mucosa than in controls in both genetic backgrounds. In contrast, mutant frequencies in the unaffected B6 liver were not significantly different between WT and Gpx1/2-DKO mice. The mutant frequency of 8-month-old B6.129 Gpx1/2-DKO ileum was 38.94 +/- 15.5(-5), which was not significantly higher than the age-matched B6 ileum, 25.54 +/- 10.33(-5). The mutation spectra analysis has shown that B6 Gpx1/2-DKO ileum had a 3-fold increase in small nucleotide deletions at mononucleotide repeats over control B6, which are a signature mutation associated with oxidative stress. Unexpectedly, B6 Gpx1/2-DKO mice had fewer C to T transitions at CpG dinucleotides than the WT B6 (18.0% versus 40.1%; P < 0.001). Our results suggest that inflammation drives gene mutations, which leads to neoplastic transformation of intestinal epithelium in the B6.129 Gpx1/2-DKO mice but rarely in the B6 Gpx1/2-DKO mice.

Animals↗

The ribosomal DNA loci in Plasmodium falciparum accumulate mutations independently.

Homogeneity of rDNA sequence within a cell is maintained by mechanisms working at the DNA level. The imperative to maintain homogeneity is thought to result from pressure to maintain the sequence of the rRNA transcript. We have investigated the extent of sequence variation within and between members of a species that is unable to utilize some standard mechanisms of rDNA sequence correction. We have compared the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) located between the 18 S rRNA and 5.8 S rRNA genes of five different loci of a single Plasmodium falciparum genotype. The ITS1 sequences are identical at 80 to 91% of the positions among the three asexually expressed genes (A-types) and 75% between the two genes expressed during sporogony (S-types), with only 42 to 57% identity between the types. This is rather startling in that the differences described here for a single genome are greater than those normally seen when comparing rDNA units from distantly related organisms. We observe an apparent conservation of secondary structure within ITS1 sequences from the different transcription units, which would reflect a level of selection at the rRNA but the organism seems to be quite tolerant of primary sequence variation. Investigation of the mature coding region within the 18 S rRNA genes did not reveal sequence variation within A- and S-types from a single genotype. However, comparison of the 18 S rRNA coding region from 17 geographically distinct strains reveals up to 10% sequence variation within a 400 nucleotide region. Hence homogeneity of rRNA units within a species does not seem to be an imperative driven totally by selection at the RNA level. The extraordinary maintenance of homogeneity within rDNA units normally seen within a species appears to have significance beyond those that can be ascribed to the events involved in processing, assembly and function of the ribosome.

Animals↗

The French neurotropic vaccine strain of yellow fever virus accumulates mutations slowly during passage in cell culture.

This study of the yellow fever French neurotropic vaccine strain from the Institut Pasteur (FNV-IP) demonstrates that this viral genome is not as stable as that of the 17D-204 vaccine virus. FNV-IP was plaque-purified three times and then passaged eight times in Vero cells. Viral populations from the second and eighth passage post purification were sequenced and compared to the published sequences of FNV-IP. The passage-2 viral population had 31 nucleotide and nine amino acid changes compared to the parental virus while the passage-8 virus had six additional nucleotide changes encoding a single amino acid substitution. The plaque-purified virus also had two sequence deletions in the 3'-noncoding region. The plaque purification resulted in selection of a passage-2 virus that had a mouse LD(50) of 20 pfu/ml, 67-fold greater than parental FNV-IP which had an LD(50) of 0.3 pfu/ml. Subsequent passage in Vero cells resulted in a passage-8 virus which had increased neurovirulence with an LD(50) of 3.2 pfu/ml. The only amino acid difference between the passage-2 and passage-8 viruses was at amino acid 638 of NS5 which lies within domain V of the RNA-dependent-RNA polymerase. Overall, these data indicate that FNV-IP virus has an inherently less stable genome than 17D vaccine virus and a variable viral population.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Accumulating mutations of p53 in colon tumor and hairy cell leukemia do not arise from methylation/deamination processes, but rather from nucleotide deletions and insertions.

Mutations of the p53 gene may alter the specific regulatory domains of the protein. We examined the conserved domains III, IV and V by SSCP using PCR primers covering exons 5, 6, 7 and 8 from hairy cell leukemia (HCL), polyps, colorectal and gastric carcinomas. A low rate of p53 mutations was detected in HCL and polyps. These mutations may predict the risk of malignant development. However, multiple mutations were a frequent occurrence in tumors. Sequence analysis of our samples did not demonstrate the high frequency of transition mutations (C-->T) that would be predicted if the major course of p53 mutations is deamination of 5-methylcytosine (5mC). Rather, most mutations were found to be single base insertions or deletions.

Colonic Polyps↗

Accumulation of deleterious mutations: additional Drosophila melanogaster estimates and a simulation of the effects of selection.

We report an assay of egg-to-adult viability in full-sibling mutation accumulation (MA) lines derived from a completely homozygous population of Drosophila melanogaster and maintained for 210 generations. A simultaneous evaluation was also made of a large population derived from the same origin and maintained as a control for the same period. We also present computer simulations to explore the possible decline in viability of the control population due to mutation accumulation and the possible effect of selection within and between MA lines. For this purpose, we used two mutational models independent from the data analyzed and based on radically different assumptions. The first model implies a large number of mutations of small effect, whereas the second implies a much smaller number of mutations with much larger effects. The observed rate of decline in mean viability was very small but significant (0.077%). The rate of increase in among line variance (0.189 x 10(-3)) was similar to those obtained previously in the same lines. The simulation results indicated that a model of many mutations of small effect is incompatible with the evolution of the mean viability of the control and MA lines over generations, the distribution of line means after 210 generations of mutation accumulation, and the pattern of line extinction over generations. Basically, this model predicted a large drop in viability, both in the control and particularly the MA lines, that is not observed empirically. It also predicted a rate of line extinction too low in the early generations and too high in the later ones. In contrast, the model based on few mutations of large effect was generally consistent with all the observations.

Animals↗