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rRNA-gene methylation and biological aging
- Source :
- Aging (Albany NY), Aging Cell
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Impact Journals, LLC, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Summary The transcription of ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) is subject to epigenetic regulation, as it is abrogated by the methylation of CpG dinucleotides within their promoter region. Here, we investigated, through Sequenom platform, the age‐related methylation status of the CpG island falling into the rDNA promoter in 472 blood samples from 20‐ to 105‐year‐old humans and in different tissues (blood, heart, liver, kidney, and testis) of 15 rats 3–96 weeks old. In humans, we did not find a consistently significant correlation between CpG site methylation and chronological age. Furthermore, the methylation levels of one of the analyzed CpG sites were negatively associated with both cognitive performance and survival chance measured in a 9‐year follow‐up study. We consistently confirmed such result in a replication sample. In rats, the analysis of the homologous region in the tissues revealed the existence of increased methylation in old rats. rRNA expression data, in both humans and rats, were consistent with observed methylation patterns, with a lower expression of rRNA in highly methylated samples. As chronological and biological ages in rats of a given strain are likely to be much closer to each other than in humans, these results seem to provide the first evidence that epigenetic modifications of rDNA change over time according to the aging decline. Thus, the methylation profile of rDNA may represent a potential biomarker of aging.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
0301 basic medicine
Aging
Biological age
ribosomal DNA (rDNA) promoter
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Biology
Kidney
Methylation
DNA, Ribosomal
ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes
Epigenesis, Genetic
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Species Specificity
Testis
Animals
Humans
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Genetics
chronological age
Myocardium
geriatric parameters
Genes, rRNA
Original Articles
Cell Biology
Chronological age
DNA Methylation
Middle Aged
Ribosomal RNA
biological age
Rats
Editorial
030104 developmental biology
Liver
RNA, Ribosomal
DNA methylation
Original Article
CpG Islands
Female
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19454589
- Volume :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Aging
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....5a7fcc3eb026acb9a8f00e2e04d388af