Estimates of overall human de novo mutation rate—the appearance of new gene mutations—have been largely carried out using indirect methods, such as extrapolating mutation rates from disease states or from the record of divergence of species. But whole genome sequencing is changing that, providing a way to map de novo mutations arising in family lines. Now, in a huge study that sequenced the genomes of 219 individuals consisting of 78 trios (father, mother, and child) and some multi-generational families, the rate of human mutations is clearer than ever, and surprisingly lower than previously estimated. However, according to the study, published today (August 22) in Nature, the number of mutations originating from the father rises with the age, so that the number of mutations doubles for every 16.5 years older the father is, raising the potential for detrimental mutations to occur and cause disease.
The results “are substantial and exciting given ...
