Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Older males beget more mutations

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Genetics

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Three papers characterizing human germline mutation rates bolster evidence for a relatively low rate of base substitution in modern humans and highlight a central role for paternal age in determining rates of mutation. These studies represent the advent of a transformation in our understanding of mutation rates and processes, which may ultimately have public health implications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Comparing the birth prevalence of developmental disorders caused by maternal chromosomal aneuploidies and paternal de novo base substitutions.

References

  1. Campbell, C.D. et al. Nat. Genet. 44, 1277–1281 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Kong, A. et al. Nature 488, 471–475 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Sun, J.X. et al. Nat. Genet. 44, 1161–1165 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Conrad, D.F. et al. Nat. Genet. 43, 712–714 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Roach, J.C. et al. Science 328, 636–639 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Nachman, M.W. & Crowell, S.L. Genetics 156, 297–304 (2000).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Haldane, J.B.S. Ann. Eugen. 13, 262–271 (1947).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. O'Roak, B.J. et al. Nature 485, 246–250 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Drost, J.B. & Lee, W.R. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 25 Suppl 26, 48–64 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hehir-Kwa, J.Y. et al. J. Med. Genet. 48, 776–778 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Savva, G.M., Walker, K. & Morris, J.K. Prenat. Diagn. 30, 57–64 (2010).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Office for National Statistics. Review of the National Statistician on Births and Patterns of Family Building in England and Wales, 2008 (Office for National Statistics, Newport, UK, 2009).

  13. Huang, N., Lee, I., Marcotte, E.M. & Hurles, M.E. PLoS Genet. 6, e1001154 (2010).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Kryukov, G.V., Pennacchio, L.A. & Sunyaev, S.R. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 80, 727–739 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Boyko, A.R. et al. PLoS Genet. 4, e1000083 (2008).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Matthew Hurles is at the The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,

    Matthew Hurles

Authors
  1. Matthew Hurles
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew Hurles.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hurles, M. Older males beget more mutations. Nat Genet 44, 1174–1176 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2448

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2448

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation