A role of telomerase to eliminate the cost of reproduction depending on the type of reproduction strategy?
Although telomerase has been widely demonstrated to be present in somatic tissues of numerous animal species, no detailed information is available relating telomerase to the proliferation status of the tested tissues or other biological traits that could better identify the purpose of telomerase activity in such cases. The reason for telomerase activity in non-proliferative cells remains unclear. It is speculated that in the somatic tissues of large mammals, telomerase activity is reduced as protection against tumor development, and in small mammals, telomerase is widely active, as there is no need to repress it. This “purposiveness without purpose’ can be questioned in regard to why it is worthy for cells to express telomerase (or anything else) if there is no need for it. It is widely known that body mass in terrestrial mammals is negatively correlated with the fecundity rate of the species (Allainé et al. 1987; Werner and Griebeler 2011). Therefore, it is tempting to ask whether somatic telomerase activity in eusocial kings and queens as well as in small but highly fecund mammal species such as lagomorphs or rodents may serve its non-canonical function to protect its individuals against reactive oxygen species produced due to the exacerbated metabolic stress upon reproduction and may only be a reflection of a more common and broader phenomenon. We can speculate whether the necessity to maintain telomerase activity in somatic cells of some species reflects a different reproduction strategy of the species rather than their body size.
Conflicts of Interest Statement Author declares no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements This study was supported by grant no. 18-21200S from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and by Strategy AV21, Diversity of Life and Health of Ecosystems.