Selection on Alleles Affecting Human Longevity and Late-Life Disease: The Example of Apolipoprotein E
نویسندگان
چکیده
It is often claimed that genes affecting health in old age, such as cardiovascular and Alzheimer diseases, are beyond the reach of natural selection. We show in a simulation study based on known genetic (apolipoprotein E) and non-genetic risk factors (gender, diet, smoking, alcohol, exercise) that, because there is a statistical distribution of ages at which these genes exert their influence on morbidity and mortality, the effects of selection are in fact non-negligible. A gradual increase with each generation of the epsilon2 and epsilon3 alleles of the gene at the expense of the epsilon4 allele was predicted from the model. The epsilon2 allele frequency was found to increase slightly more rapidly than that for epsilon3, although there was no statistically significant difference between the two. Our result may explain the recent evolutionary history of the epsilon 2, 3 and 4 alleles of the apolipoprotein E gene and has wider relevance for genes affecting human longevity.
منابع مشابه
Mutation, Condition, and the Maintenance of Extended Lifespan in Drosophila
The evolutionary theory of aging predicts that longevity will decline via drift or age-specific tradeoffs when selection favors early life fitness. Many Drosophila melanogaster populations continually terminated at young adult ages retain surprisingly long postselection lifespans. We compiled three decades of longevity data from the Ives population, demonstrating that postselective longevity wa...
متن کاملAN INVESTIGATION OF HUMAN APOLIPOPROTEIN E POLYMORPIDSMS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS OF IRAN
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system, with a complex etiology that includes a strong genetic component. The chromosome 19q 13 region surrounding the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene has shown consistent evidence of involvement in MS. In a cross-sectional study, to show the APOE genotype and allele frequency in the MS population of Iran in comp...
متن کاملTOMM40 rs10524523 polymorphism's role in late-onset Alzheimer's disease and in longevity.
Recently, it has been reported that TOMM40 variable-length poly-T sequence polymorphism (rs10524523) in combination with APOE alleles (E2, E3, E4) significantly influences late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) age of onset. In a group of 414 LOAD patients, 173 centenarians and 305 neurologically healthy individuals, we investigated the impact of TOMM40 poly-T tracts on LOAD incidence, age of on...
متن کاملPolymorphisms in the Apolipoprotein E Region and Severity of Multiple Sclerosis
Background: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism is known to affect various neurologic disorders with different effects on the immune system and CNS repair. However, previous studies on possible modulation of the clinical course of multiple sclerosis (MS) by APOE polymorphism have been inconsistent. Objective: To clarify the issue for MS patients' management and future research. Methods: Th...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره 5 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2010