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Study on a possible effect of four longevity candidate genes (ACE, PON1, PPAR-γ, and APOE) on human fertility

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Abstract

The present study investigated for a possible effect on fertility of four longevity candidate genes (ACE, PON1, PPAR-γ, APOE) in order to determine whether they have a pleiotropic action at different life ages. The study population was 151 healthy unrelated subjects. Only PPAR-γ and APOE showed an effect on fertility. The PPAR-γ Pro/Ala genotype, which had showed an association with longevity only in men, was found associated only in men with having produced more children (6.1 ± 3.3) than the Pro/Pro genotype (3.3 ± 1.9; P = 0.001). APOE*2 allele, which has been consistently associated with longevity, was confirmed to be associated with the lowest fertility (P = 0.03). The logistic regression analysis indicated that APOE and PPAR-γ polymorphisms may be considered independent determinants of reproductive efficiency. These data suggest that the APOE*2 allele follows the model of antagonist pleiotropy, while the PPAR-γ Pro/Ala genotype seems to exert beneficial effects both early in life and in advanced age in a gender-specific way.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to K.A. Britsch for reviewing the manuscript. Financial support from University ‘La Sapienza’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University “La Sapienza”, P. A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Rosa Maria Corbo & Laura Ulizzi

  2. Department of Animal and Human Biology, University “La Sapienza”, P. A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Laura Piombo

  3. CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, P. A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Rosa Maria Corbo & Renato Scacchi

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  1. Rosa Maria Corbo
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  2. Laura Ulizzi
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  3. Laura Piombo
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  4. Renato Scacchi
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Correspondence to Rosa Maria Corbo.

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Corbo, R.M., Ulizzi, L., Piombo, L. et al. Study on a possible effect of four longevity candidate genes (ACE, PON1, PPAR-γ, and APOE) on human fertility. Biogerontology 9, 317–323 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-008-9143-9

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