In utero TNF-α treatment induces telomere shortening in young adult mice in an ATF7-dependent manner.

Epidemiological studies indicate that exposure to stress during intrauterine life is associated with shorter telomeres in young adulthood, and a correlation between telomere length in early life and lifespan has been suggested. However, empirical studies evaluating these phenomena have not been performed, and the mechanism of stress-induced telomere shortening remains unknown. Since the level of tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in peripheral blood cells is increased by various psychological stresses, the effect of TNF-α administration to pregnant mice on telomere length in adulthood was examined in the present study. In utero TNF-α treatment-induced telomere shortening in adult mice. Telomere shortening was observed in certain tissues such as the bone marrow, spleen, and lung, and was detected at specific age ranges during adulthood. Telomere shortening was not observed in mice lacking the stress-responsive transcription factor ATF7, which contributes to heterochromatin formation in the absence of stress. The present study identified the conditions under which in utero TNF-α treatment induces telomere shortening in adulthood.