2015/02/18 by Peter Forster, Carsten Hohoff, Bettina Dunkelmann +4 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #CRISPR and Genetic Engineering #Germline #Germline mutation #Biology #Mutation rate #Sperm #Genetics #Mutation #Point mutation #Microsatellite #Germ cell #Gene #Allele
paper · pdf · doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.2898
openalex publication_date 2015/02/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Men age and die, while cells in their germline are programmed to be immortal. To elucidate how germ cells maintain viable DNA despite increasing parental age, we analysed DNA from 24 097 parents and their children, from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We chose repetitive microsatellite DNA that mutates (unlike point mutations) only as a result of cellular replication, providing us with a natural 'cell-cycle counter'. We observe, as expected, that the overall mutation rate for fathers is seven times higher than for mothers. Also as expected, mothers have a low and lifelong constant DNA mutation rate. Surprisingly, however, we discover that (i) teenage fathers already set out from a much higher mutation rate than teenage mothers (potentially equivalent to 77-196 male germline cell divisions by puberty); and (ii) ageing men maintain sperm DNA quality similar to that of teenagers, presumably by using fresh batches of stem cells known as 'A-dark spermatogonia'.