Heritability of DNA-damage-induced apoptosis and its relationship with age in lymphocytes from female twins

Apoptosis is a physiological form of cell death important in normal processes such as morphogenesis and the functioning of the immune system. In addition, defects in the apoptotic process play a major role in a number of important areas of disease, such as autoimmune diseases and cancer. DNA-damage-induced apoptosis plays a vital role in the maintenance of genomic stability by the removal of damaged cells. Previous studies of the apoptotic response (AR) to radiation-induced DNA damage of lymphoid cells from individuals carrying germline TP53 mutations have demonstrated a defective AR compared with normal controls. We have also previously demonstrated that AR is reduced as individuals age. Results from the current study on 108 twins aged 18–80 years confirm these earlier findings that the AR of lymphoid cells to DNA damage is significantly reduced with increasing age. In addition this twin study shows, for the first time, that DNA-damage-induced AR has a strong degree of heritability of 81% (95% confidence interval 67–89%). The vital role of DNA-damage-induced apoptosis in maintaining genetic stability, its relationship with age and its strong heritability underline the importance of this area of biology and suggest areas for further study.