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Manière X, Krisko A, Pellay FX, Di Meglio JM, Hersen P, Matic I. High transcript levels of heat-shock genes are associated with shorter lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. Exp Gerontol 2014; 60:12-7. [PMID: 25218444 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Individual lifespans of isogenic organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, fruit flies, and mice, vary greatly even under identical environmental conditions. To study the molecular mechanisms responsible for such variability, we used an assay based on the measurement of post-reproductive nematode movements stimulated by a moderate electric field. This assay allows for the separation of individual nematodes based on their speed. We show that this phenotype could be used as a biomarker for aging because it is a better predictor of lifespan than chronological age. Fast nematodes have longer lifespans, fewer protein carbonyls, higher heat-shock resistance, and higher transcript levels of the daf-16 and hsf-1 genes, which code for the stress response transcription factors, than slow nematodes. High transcript levels of the genes coding for heat-shock proteins observed in slow nematodes correlate with lower heat-shock resistance, more protein carbonyls, and shorter lifespan. Taken together, our data suggests that shorter lifespan results from early-life damage accumulation that causes subsequent faster age-related deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Manière
- Inserm Unit 1001, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France
| | - A Krisko
- Inserm Unit 1001, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France; Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences (MedILS), 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - F X Pellay
- Inserm Unit 1001, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France; NAOS group/Jean-Noël Thorel, 13855 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - J-M Di Meglio
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR7057, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - P Hersen
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR7057, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, 75013 Paris, France; MechanoBiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - I Matic
- Inserm Unit 1001, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France.
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52
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Burtscher M. Effects of living at higher altitudes on mortality: a narrative review. Aging Dis 2014; 5:274-80. [PMID: 25110611 PMCID: PMC4113517 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2014.0500274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Beside genetic and life-style characteristics environmental factors may profoundly influence mortality and life expectancy. The high altitude climate comprises a set of conditions bearing the potential of modifying morbidity and mortality of approximately 400 million people who are permanently residing at elevations above 1500 meters. However, epidemiological data on the effects of high altitude living on mortality from major diseases are inconsistent probably due to differences in ethnicity, behavioral factors and the complex interactions with environmental conditions. The available data indicate that residency at higher altitudes are associated with lower mortality from cardiovascular diseases, stroke and certain types of cancer. In contrast mortality from COPD and probably also from lower respiratory tract infections is rather elevated. It may be argued that moderate altitudes are more protective than high or even very high altitudes. Whereas living at higher elevations may frequently protect from development of diseases, it could adversely affect mortality when diseases progress. Corroborating and expanding these findings would be helpful for optimization of medical care and disease management in the aging residents of higher altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, Medical Section, University Innsbruck, Austria
- Austrian Society for Alpine and High Altitude Medicine, Innsbruck, Austria
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53
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Levine ME, Crimmins EM. Evidence of accelerated aging among African Americans and its implications for mortality. Soc Sci Med 2014; 118:27-32. [PMID: 25086423 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Blacks experience morbidity and mortality earlier in the life course compared to whites. Such premature declines in health may be indicative of an acceleration of the aging process. The current study uses data on 7644 black and white participants, ages 30 and above, from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, to compare the biological ages of blacks and whites as indicated from a combination of ten biomarkers and to determine if such differences in biological age relative to chronological age account for racial disparities in mortality. At a specified chronological age, blacks are approximately 3 years older biologically than whites. Differences in biological age between blacks and whites appear to increase up until ages 60-65 and then decline, presumably due to mortality selection. Finally, differences in biological age were found to completely account for higher levels of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality among blacks. Overall, these results suggest that being black is associated with significantly higher biological age at a given chronological age and that this is a pathway to early death both overall and from the major age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Levine
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - E M Crimmins
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Abstract
Alarmed by the sustainability of our health and social security systems, longevity has become a great societal challenge. In line with evolutionary logic we see a continuous increase of average life expectancy and maximal lifespan. Striving for a healthy old age, however, is an infelicitous expression as for human subjects the ageing process cannot be ultimately postponed. Not disregarding the huge variation in health trajectories, in old age we will all suffer from frailty and infirmity. As yet efforts of the biomedical arena are almost exclusively focused on stalling the ageing process and preventing dysfunction. Too little effort is spend on how to inspire and coach the great majority of people who still feel relatively well notwithstanding the presence of multiple age-related disorders. There is a strong rationale to separate the quest to live in good health for longer from actively and effectively negotiating the challenge of functional decline in old age. In particular, we emphasise a focus on adjusting the environment in order to correct the gene–environment mismatch that contributes to ill health. An additional strategy is to empower people to set ambitions and to realise appropriate goals, in spite of infirmity. Striving for vitality presents a striking opportunity to achieve subjective feelings of life satisfaction when ageing.
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Kulminski AM. Unraveling genetic origin of aging-related traits: evolving concepts. Rejuvenation Res 2014; 16:304-12. [PMID: 23768105 DOI: 10.1089/rej.2013.1441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Discovering the genetic origin of aging-related traits could greatly advance strategies aiming to extend health span. The results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) addressing this problem are controversial, and new genetic concepts have been fostered to advance the progress in the field. A limitation of GWAS and new genetic concepts is that they do not thoroughly address specifics of aging-related traits. Integration of theoretical concepts in genetics and aging research with empirical evidence from different disciplines highlights the conceptual problems in studies of genetic origin of aging-related traits. To address these problems, novel approaches of systemic nature are required. These approaches should adopt the non-deterministic nature of linkage of genes with aging-related traits and, consequently, reinforce research strategies for improving our understanding of mechanisms shaping genetic effects on these traits. Investigation of mechanisms will help determine conditions that activate specific genetic variants or profiles and explore to what extent these conditions that shape genetic effects are conserved across human lives and generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
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Däumer C, Flachsbart F, Caliebe A, Schreiber S, Nebel A, Krawczak M. Adjustment for smoking does not alter the FOXO3A association with longevity. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 36:911-921. [PMID: 24014251 PMCID: PMC4039245 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9578-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Human longevity is a multifactorial phenotype influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Despite its heritability of 25-32 %, the genetic background of longevity is as yet largely unexplained. Apart from APOE status, variation in the FOXO3A gene is the only confirmed genetic contributor to survival into old age. On the other hand, FOXO3A activity is known to be downregulated in various cancers, and the gene was recently identified as a novel deletion hotspot in human lung adenocarcinoma. In view of the strong association between smoking and lung cancer, we set out to explore whether smoking modifies the known association between FOXO3A variation and longevity. To this end, we conducted a case-control study in two different populations, drawing upon extensive collections of old-aged individuals and younger controls available to us (1,613 German centenarians/nonagenarians and 1,104 controls; 1,088 Danish nonagenarians and 736 controls). In the German sample, 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the FOXO3A gene region were genotyped, whereas 15 FOXO3A SNPs were analyzed in the Danish sample. Eight SNPs were typed in both populations. Logistic regression analysis revealed that adjustment for smoking does not systematically alter the association between FOXO3A variation and longevity in neither population. Our analysis therefore suggests that the said association is not largely due to the confounding effects of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Däumer
- />Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University, Brunswiker Straße 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Friederike Flachsbart
- />Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University, Schittenhelmstraße 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Amke Caliebe
- />Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University, Brunswiker Straße 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Schreiber
- />Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University, Schittenhelmstraße 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- />Clinic for Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Schittenhelmstraße 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- />PopGen Biobank, Christian-Albrechts University, Niemannsweg 11, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Almut Nebel
- />Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University, Schittenhelmstraße 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Krawczak
- />Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University, Brunswiker Straße 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- />PopGen Biobank, Christian-Albrechts University, Niemannsweg 11, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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57
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Deelen J, Beekman M, Uh HW, Broer L, Ayers KL, Tan Q, Kamatani Y, Bennet AM, Tamm R, Trompet S, Guðbjartsson DF, Flachsbart F, Rose G, Viktorin A, Fischer K, Nygaard M, Cordell HJ, Crocco P, van den Akker EB, Böhringer S, Helmer Q, Nelson CP, Saunders GI, Alver M, Andersen-Ranberg K, Breen ME, van der Breggen R, Caliebe A, Capri M, Cevenini E, Collerton JC, Dato S, Davies K, Ford I, Gampe J, Garagnani P, de Geus EJC, Harrow J, van Heemst D, Heijmans BT, Heinsen FA, Hottenga JJ, Hofman A, Jeune B, Jonsson PV, Lathrop M, Lechner D, Martin-Ruiz C, Mcnerlan SE, Mihailov E, Montesanto A, Mooijaart SP, Murphy A, Nohr EA, Paternoster L, Postmus I, Rivadeneira F, Ross OA, Salvioli S, Sattar N, Schreiber S, Stefánsson H, Stott DJ, Tiemeier H, Uitterlinden AG, Westendorp RGJ, Willemsen G, Samani NJ, Galan P, Sørensen TIA, Boomsma DI, Jukema JW, Rea IM, Passarino G, de Craen AJM, Christensen K, Nebel A, Stefánsson K, Metspalu A, Magnusson P, Blanché H, Christiansen L, Kirkwood TBL, van Duijn CM, Franceschi C, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, Slagboom PE. Genome-wide association meta-analysis of human longevity identifies a novel locus conferring survival beyond 90 years of age. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 23:4420-32. [PMID: 24688116 PMCID: PMC4103672 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic contribution to the variation in human lifespan is ∼25%. Despite the large number of identified disease-susceptibility loci, it is not known which loci influence population mortality. We performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 7729 long-lived individuals of European descent (≥85 years) and 16 121 younger controls (<65 years) followed by replication in an additional set of 13 060 long-lived individuals and 61 156 controls. In addition, we performed a subset analysis in cases aged ≥90 years. We observed genome-wide significant association with longevity, as reflected by survival to ages beyond 90 years, at a novel locus, rs2149954, on chromosome 5q33.3 (OR = 1.10, P = 1.74 × 10−8). We also confirmed association of rs4420638 on chromosome 19q13.32 (OR = 0.72, P = 3.40 × 10−36), representing the TOMM40/APOE/APOC1 locus. In a prospective meta-analysis (n = 34 103), the minor allele of rs2149954 (T) on chromosome 5q33.3 associates with increased survival (HR = 0.95, P = 0.003). This allele has previously been reported to associate with low blood pressure in middle age. Interestingly, the minor allele (T) associates with decreased cardiovascular mortality risk, independent of blood pressure. We report on the first GWAS-identified longevity locus on chromosome 5q33.3 influencing survival in the general European population. The minor allele of this locus associates with low blood pressure in middle age, although the contribution of this allele to survival may be less dependent on blood pressure. Hence, the pleiotropic mechanisms by which this intragenic variation contributes to lifespan regulation have to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Deelen
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing
| | - Marian Beekman
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing
| | - Hae-Won Uh
- Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics
| | - Linda Broer
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Epidemiology and
| | - Kristin L Ayers
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, International Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Qihua Tan
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Department of Clinical Genetics and
| | | | - Anna M Bennet
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Riin Tamm
- Estonian Genome Center and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Stella Trompet
- Department of Cardiology and Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Giuseppina Rose
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Alexander Viktorin
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | | | - Marianne Nygaard
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Department of Clinical Genetics and
| | - Heather J Cordell
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, International Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Paolina Crocco
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Erik B van den Akker
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Christopher P Nelson
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK National Institute for Health Research Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK
| | - Gary I Saunders
- Human and Vertebrate Analysis and Annotation, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, The Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Maris Alver
- Estonian Genome Center and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | | | - Marie E Breen
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - Amke Caliebe
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Miriam Capri
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine and
| | - Elisa Cevenini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine and
| | - Joanna C Collerton
- Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Serena Dato
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Karen Davies
- Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Ian Ford
- Robertson Center for Biostatistics and
| | - Jutta Gampe
- Laboratory of Statistical Demography, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock 18057, Germany
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine and
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Harrow
- Human and Vertebrate Analysis and Annotation, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, The Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Diana van Heemst
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan T Heijmans
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing
| | | | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Hofman
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Epidemiology and
| | | | - Palmi V Jonsson
- Geriatrics, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik 101, Iceland Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik 101, Iceland
| | - Mark Lathrop
- Fondation Jean Dausset-CEPH, Paris 75010, France EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 1A4
| | | | - Carmen Martin-Ruiz
- Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Susan E Mcnerlan
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK Cytogenetics Laboratory, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast BT8 8BH, UK
| | - Evelin Mihailov
- Estonian Genome Center and Estonian Biocentre, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Alberto Montesanto
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Simon P Mooijaart
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Murphy
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Ellen A Nohr
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C DK-5000, Denmark
| | - Lavinia Paternoster
- MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Iris Postmus
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Fernando Rivadeneira
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands
| | - Owen A Ross
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Stefano Salvioli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine and
| | - Naveed Sattar
- BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Stefan Schreiber
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and PopGen Biobank, Christian-Albrechts-University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | | | - David J Stott
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands
| | - André G Uitterlinden
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi G J Westendorp
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Nilesh J Samani
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK National Institute for Health Research Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK
| | - Pilar Galan
- Université Sorbonne Paris Cité-UREN (Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle), U557 Inserm; U1125 Inra; Cnam; Université Paris 13, CRNH IdF, Bobigny 93017, France
| | - Thorkild I A Sørensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Section on Metabolic Genetics, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N DK-2200, Denmark Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospitals, Frederiksberg DK-2000, Denmark
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - J Wouter Jukema
- Department of Cardiology and Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands, Utrecht 3501 DG, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Maeve Rea
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Giuseppe Passarino
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy
| | - Anton J M de Craen
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Department of Clinical Genetics and Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C DK-5000, Denmark
| | | | - Kári Stefánsson
- Population Genomics, deCODE Genetics, Reykjavík 101, Iceland
| | - Andres Metspalu
- Estonian Genome Center and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia Estonian Biocentre, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Patrik Magnusson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | | | - Lene Christiansen
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Department of Clinical Genetics and
| | - Thomas B L Kirkwood
- Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | | | - Claudio Franceschi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine and Interdepartmental Centre 'L. Galvani', University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy IRCCS Institute of Neurological Science, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna 40139, Italy CNR-ISOF, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | | | - P Eline Slagboom
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing,
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58
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Dixon L, Kuster R, Rueppell O. Reproduction, social behavior, and aging trajectories in honeybee workers. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 36:89-101. [PMID: 23765046 PMCID: PMC3889882 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9546-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
While a negative correlation between reproduction and life span is commonly observed, specialized reproductive individuals outlive their non-reproductive nestmates in all eusocial species, including the honeybee, Apis mellifera (L). The consequences of reproduction for individual life expectancy can be studied directly by comparing reproductive and non-reproductive workers. We quantified the life span consequences of reproduction in honeybee workers by removal of the queen to trigger worker reproduction. Furthermore, we observed the social behavior of large cohorts of workers under experimental and control conditions to test for associations with individual life expectancy. Worker life expectancy was moderately increased by queen removal. Queenless colonies contained a few long-lived workers, and oviposition behavior was associated with a strong reduction in mortality risk, indicating that a reproductive role confers a significant survival advantage. This finding is further substantiated by an association between brood care behavior and worker longevity that depends on the social environment. In contrast, other in-hive activities, such as fanning, trophallaxis, and allogrooming did not consistently affect worker life expectancy. The influence of foraging varied among replicates. An earlier age of transitioning from in-hive tasks to outside foraging was always associated with shorter life spans, in accordance with previous studies. In sum, our studies quantify how individual mortality is affected by particular social roles and colony environments and demonstrate interactions between the two. The exceptional, positive association between reproduction and longevity in honeybees extends to within-caste plasticity, which may be exploited for mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Dixon
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
- />Life Science Department, Winston-Salem State University, 601 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110 USA
| | - Ryan Kuster
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
- />Bioinformatics Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Olav Rueppell
- />Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403 USA
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59
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Müller T. Detoxification and antioxidative therapy for levodopa-induced neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 13:707-18. [PMID: 23739007 DOI: 10.1586/ern.13.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Levodopa is the most efficacious drug treatment option for Parkinson's disease. However, in particular, high levodopa dosing may contribute to disease progression. Chronic levodopa metabolism reduces the methylation capacity and the antioxidant defense. Thus, this levodopa-induced free radical production complements the disease process, which considerably depends on free radical-induced, apoptotic neuronal cell death. Accordingly, clinical long-term studies with in the laboratory neuroprotective compounds failed in clinical investigations, as these studies were performed in levodopa-naive patients with Parkinson's disease over a relative short interval. Therefore, the likelihood for a positive outcome was rather low, since trials only focused on the disease process in levodopa-naive patients. However, studies on antioxidant therapeutic strategies were positive in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease patients. To counteract these metabolic long-term levodopa-associated effects, chronic levodopa therapy should be combined with supplemental application of free radical scavengers and methyl group donating vitamins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Müller
- Department of Neurology, St. Joseph Hospital Berlin-Weißensee, Gartenstr. 1, 13088, Berlin, Germany.
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Trapani L, Segatto M, Pallottini V. New compounds able to control hepatic cholesterol metabolism: Is it possible to avoid statin treatment in aged people? World J Hepatol 2013; 5:676-684. [PMID: 24432184 PMCID: PMC3879689 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v5.i12.676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is characterized by the loss of homeostasis that leads to changes in the biochemical composition of tissues, reduced ability to respond adaptively to environmental stimuli, and increased susceptibility and vulnerability to diseases including coronary artery diseases, carotid artery disease and brain vessel disease. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the primary risk factors for these pathologies, whose incidence is highly related to aging. Almost 25% of men and 42% of women older than 65 years have a serum total cholesterol level greater than 240 mg/dL. The mechanisms behind this age-related increase in plasma cholesterol are still incompletely understood, thus, the control of plasma cholesterol content in aged people is more challenging than in adults. In this review the different pharmacological approaches to reduce plasma cholesterol levels, particularly in aged people, will be discussed. In brief, current therapies are mostly based on the prescription of statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors) that are pretty effective but that exert several side effects. More attention should be given to potential drug interactions, potential age-related changes in drug pharmacokinetics, adverse effects such as myopathy and competing risks when statins are prescribed to old patients. In combination or in alternative to statin therapy, other agents might be required to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Among the available drugs, the most commonly prescribed are those addressed to reduce cholesterol absorption, to modulate lipoprotein lipase activity and bile acid sequestrants: even these pharmacological interventions are not exempt from side effects. The use of antioxidants or organoselenium compounds and the discovery of new proteins able to modulate exclusively LDL receptor recycling such as Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 and SEC24 offer new pharmacological approaches to selectively reduce the main causes of dyslipidemia.
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Kim E, Ansell CM, Dudycha JL. Resveratrol and food effects on lifespan and reproduction in the model crustacean Daphnia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 321:48-56. [PMID: 24133070 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Longevity is a highly variable life history trait and its variation is attributable to both genetic and environmental factors. Exploring well-known environmental factors in a new model system is a useful approach to explore taxonomic variation in plasticity of longevity. We examined responsiveness of the Daphnia pulex clone TCO to potentially related interventions that have been reported to extend lifespan: resveratrol and dietary restriction. First, we examined effects of resveratrol on lifespan and fecundity in TCO which were grown at moderate (12K cells Ankistrodesmus falcatus mL⁻¹) and high (20K cells A. falcatus mL⁻¹) food levels. We found no evidence for lifespan extension by resveratrol, but found a reduction of lifetime fecundity. The effect of resveratrol on fecundity was more pronounced early in life. We then conducted an additional life table to test the effect of dietary restriction on TCO. Surprisingly, reduced food level did not extend the lifespan of TCO, which contrasts with previous studies in D. pulex. Our results suggest that variation in the response to dietary restriction might be more common than previously thought. If resveratrol activates genes involved in the response to dietary restriction, genetic polymorphisms in dietary restriction will influence responses to resveratrol. Thus, this experiment suggests that careful re-examination of resveratrol effects using diverse genotypes is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunsuk Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
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62
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Sibille E. Molecular aging of the brain, neuroplasticity, and vulnerability to depression and other brain-related disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2013. [PMID: 23576889 PMCID: PMC3622469 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2013.15.1/esibille] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The increased risk for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders associated with extended lifespan has long suggested mechanistic links between chronological age and brain-related disorders, including depression, Recent characterizations of age-dependent gene expression changes now show that aging of the human brain engages a specific set of biological pathways along a continuous lifelong trajectory, and that the same genes that are associated with normal brain aging are also frequently and similarly implicated in depression and other brain-related disorders. These correlative observations suggest a model of age-by-disease molecular interactions, in which brain aging promotes biological changes associated with diseases, and additional environmental factors and genetic variability contribute to defining disease risk or resiliency trajectories. Here we review the characteristic features of brain aging in terms of changes in gene function over time, and then focus on evidence supporting accelerated molecular aging in depression. This proposed age-by-disease biological interaction model addresses the current gap in research between “normal” brain aging and its connection to late-life diseases. The implications of this model are profound, as it provides an investigational framework for identifying critical moderating factors, outlines opportunities for early interventions or preventions, and may form the basis for a dimensional definition of diseases that goes beyond the current categorical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Sibille
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
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63
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Kulminski AM, Culminskaya I, Arbeev KG, Ukraintseva SV, Arbeeva L, Yashin AI. Trade-off in the effect of the APOE gene on the ages at onset of cardiocascular disease and cancer across ages, gender, and human generations. Rejuvenation Res 2013; 16:28-34. [PMID: 23094790 DOI: 10.1089/rej.2012.1362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of studies of candidate genes show their complex role in aging-related traits. We focus on apolipoprotein E e2/3/4 polymorphism and ages at onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer in the parental and offspring generations of the Framingham Heart Study participants to gain insights on the role of age and gender across generations in genetic trade-offs. The analyses show that the apolipoprotein E e4 allele carriers live longer lives without cancer than the non-e4 allele carriers in each generation. The role of the e4 allele in onset of CVD is age- and generation-specific, constituting two modes of sexually dimorphic genetic trade-offs. In offspring, the e4 allele confers risk of CVD primarily in women and can protect against cancer primarily in men of the same age. In the parental generation, genetic trade-off is seen in different age groups, with a protective role of the e4 allele against cancer in older men and its detrimental role in CVD in younger women. The puzzling complexity of genetic mechanisms working in different genders, ages, and environments calls for more detail and systemic analyses beyond those adapted in current large-scale genetic association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
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Jagnoor J, Keay L, Jaswal N, Kaur M, Ivers R. A qualitative study on the perceptions of preventing falls as a health priority among older people in Northern India. Inj Prev 2013; 20:29-34. [PMID: 23800638 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In India, fall-related injury morbidity and mortality is an emerging public health problem in older people. Despite awareness of a growing burden, there is a scarcity of literature on effective and acceptable interventions. This study was undertaken to explore the perceptions of older people regarding the risk of falls and understanding of fall prevention programmes. METHODS We conducted six focus group discussions (FGDs), comprising single gender for three socio-demographic groups in a north Indian city, Chandigarh, in 2011. FGDs were conducted in local language (Punjabi), recorded, transcribed and translated in English. Two researchers independently conducted thematic analysis. RESULTS Focus group participants were aware of the devastating consequences of fall-related injuries. The predominant reasons for explaining an increased risk of falling was age, uneven surfaces, physical weakness and mental health. There were several other competing health priorities in this population. Preventive measures ranging from individual to government level initiatives were suggested. The experience, knowledge, perceptions and health priorities were diverse among the three socio-demographic groups. However, the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness for improving balance and strength using yoga in this population needs to be evaluated. CONCLUSIONS Careful consideration of health priorities is required for development of falls prevention, particularly among the urban poor. Further, initiatives that foster community engagement, such as participatory action may increase acceptability of initiatives to prevent fall-related injury among older people in India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagnoor Jagnoor
- The George Institute for Global Health, , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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65
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The age-by-disease interaction hypothesis of late-life depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2013; 21:418-32. [PMID: 23570886 PMCID: PMC3549303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2012] [Revised: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The phenomenologic diagnosis of depression is successful in increasing diagnostic reliability, but it is a classification scheme without biologic bases. One subtype of depression for which evidence suggests a unique biologic basis is late-life depression (LLD), with first onset of symptoms after the age of 65. LLD is common and poses a significant burden on affected individuals, caretakers, and society. The pathophysiology of LLD includes disruptions of the neural network underlying mood, which can be conceptualized as the result of dysfunction in multiple underlying biologic processes. Here, we briefly review current LLD hypotheses and then describe the characteristics of molecular brain aging and their overlap with disease processes. Furthermore, we propose a new hypothesis for LLD, the age-by-disease interaction hypothesis, which posits that the clinical presentation of LLD is the integrated output of specific biologic processes that are pushed in LLD-promoting directions by changes in gene expression naturally occurring in the brain during aging. Hence, the brain is led to a physiological state that is more susceptible to LLD, because additional pushes by genetic, environmental, and biochemical factors may now be sufficient to generate dysfunctional states that produce depressive symptoms. We put our propositions together into a decanalization model to aid in illustrating how age-related biologic changes of the brain can shift the repertoire of available functional states in a prodepression direction, and how additional factors can readily lead the system into distinct and stable maladaptive phenotypes, including LLD. This model brings together basic research on neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases more closely with the investigation of normal aging. Specifically, identifying biologic processes affected during normal aging may inform the development of new interventions for the prevention and treatment of LLD.
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66
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Kulminski AM, Culminskaya I, Yashin AI. Inter-chromosomal level of genome organization and longevity-related phenotypes in humans. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 35:501-18. [PMID: 22282054 PMCID: PMC3592956 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9374-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Studies focusing on unraveling the genetic origin of health span in humans assume that polygenic, aging-related phenotypes are inherited through Mendelian mechanisms of inheritance of individual genes. We use the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) data to examine whether non-Mendelian mechanisms of inheritance can drive linkage of loci on non-homologous chromosomes and whether such mechanisms can be relevant to longevity-related phenotypes. We report on genome-wide inter-chromosomal linkage disequilibrium (LD) and on chromosome-wide intra-chromosomal LD and show that these are real phenomena in the FHS data. Genetic analysis of inheritance in families based on Mendelian segregation reveals that the alleles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LD at loci on non-homologous chromosomes are inherited as a complex resembling haplotypes of a genetic unit. This result implies that the inter-chromosomal LD is likely caused by non-random assortment of non-homologous chromosomes during meiosis. The risk allele haplotypes can be subject to dominant-negative selection primary through the mechanisms of non-Mendelian inheritance. They can go to extinction within two human generations. The set of SNPs in inter-chromosomal LD (N=68) is nearly threefold enriched, with high significance (p=1.6 × 10(-9)), on non-synonymous coding variants (N=28) compared to the entire qualified set of the studied SNPs. Genes for the tightly linked SNPs are involved in fundamental biological processes in an organism. Survival analyses show that the revealed non-genetic linkage is associated with heritable complex phenotype of premature death. Our results suggest the presence of inter-chromosomal level of functional organization in the human genome and highlight a challenging problem of genomics of human health and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Box 90408, Trent Hall, Room 002, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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67
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Kulminski AM, Culminskaya I. Genomics of human health and aging. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 35:455-69. [PMID: 22174011 PMCID: PMC3592948 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9362-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite notable progress of the candidate-gene and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), understanding the role of genes contributing to human health and lifespan is still very limited. We use the Framingham Heart Study to elucidate if recognizing the role of evolution and systemic processes in an aging organism could advance such studies. We combine throughput methods of GWAS with more detail methods typical for candidate-gene analyses and show that both lifespan and ages at onset of CVD and cancer can be controlled by the same allelic variants. The risk allele carriers are at highly significant risk of premature death (e.g., RR=2.9, p=5.0 × 10(-66)), onset of CVD (e.g., RR=1.6, p=4.6 × 10(-17)), and onset of cancer (e.g., RR=1.6, p=1.5 × 10(-6)). The mechanism mediating the revealed genetic associations is likely associated with biological aging. These aging-related phenotypes are associated with a complex network which includes, in this study, 62 correlated SNPs even so these SNPs can be on non-homologous chromosomes. A striking result is three-fold, highly significant (p=3.6 × 10(-10)) enrichment of non-synonymous SNPs (N=27) in this network compared to the entire qualified set of the studied SNPs. Functional significance of this network is strengthened by involvement of genes for these SNPs in fundamental biological processes related to aging (e.g., response to stimuli, protein degradation, apoptosis) and by connections of these genes with neurological (20 genes) and cardio-vascular (nine genes) processes and tumorigenesis (10 genes). These results document challenging role of gene networks in regulating human health and aging and call for broadening focus on genomics of such phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Box 90408, Trent Hall, Room 002, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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68
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Modulation of Cell Cycle Profile by Chlorella vulgaris Prevents Replicative Senescence of Human Diploid Fibroblasts. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:780504. [PMID: 23573154 PMCID: PMC3610352 DOI: 10.1155/2013/780504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Revised: 01/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the effects of Chlorella vulgaris (CV) on replicative senescence of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) were investigated. Hot water extract of CV was used to treat HDFs at passages 6, 15, and 30 which represent young, presenescence, and senescence ages, respectively. The level of DNA damage was determined by comet assay while apoptosis and cell cycle profile were determined using FACSCalibur flow cytometer. Our results showed direct correlation between increased levels of damaged DNA and apoptosis with senescence in untreated HDFs (P < 0.05). Cell cycle profile showed increased population of untreated senescent cells that enter G0/G1 phase while the cell population in S phase decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Treatment with CV however caused a significant reduction in the level of damaged DNA and apoptosis in all age groups of HDFs (P < 0.05). Cell cycle analysis showed that treatment with CV increased significantly the percentage of senescent HDFs in S phase and G2/M phases but decreased the population of cells in G0/G1 phase (P < 0.05). In conclusion, hot water extract of Chlorella vulgaris effectively decreased the biomarkers of ageing, indicating its potential as an antiageing compound.
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69
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Deelen J, Beekman M, Capri M, Franceschi C, Slagboom PE. Identifying the genomic determinants of aging and longevity in human population studies: progress and challenges. Bioessays 2013; 35:386-96. [PMID: 23423909 PMCID: PMC3633240 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201200148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human lifespan variation is mainly determined by environmental factors, whereas the genetic contribution is 25–30% and expected to be polygenic. Two complementary fields go hand in hand in order to unravel the mechanisms of biological aging: genomic and biomarker research. Explorative and candidate gene studies of the human genome by genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic approaches have resulted in the identification of a limited number of interesting positive linkage regions, genes, and pathways that contribute to lifespan variation. The possibilities to further exploit these findings are rapidly increasing through the use of novel technologies, such as next-generation sequencing. Genomic research is progressively being integrated with biomarker studies on aging, including the application of (noninvasive) deep phenotyping and omics data – generated using novel technologies – in a wealth of studies in human populations. Hence, these studies may assist in obtaining a more holistic perspective on the role of the genome in aging and lifespan regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Deelen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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70
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Kulminski AM, Arbeev KG, Christensen K, Stallard E, Miljkovic I, Barmada M, Yashin AI. Biogenetic mechanisms predisposing to complex phenotypes in parents may function differently in their children. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2012; 68:760-8. [PMID: 23213029 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gls243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study focuses on the participants of the Long Life Family Study to elucidate whether biogenetic mechanisms underlying relationships among heritable complex phenotypes in parents function in the same way for the same phenotypes in their children. Our results reveal 3 characteristic groups of relationships among phenotypes in parents and children. One group composed of 3 pairs of phenotypes confirms that associations among some phenotypes can be explained by the same biogenetic mechanisms working in parents and children. Two other groups including 9 phenotype pairs show that this is not a common rule. Our findings suggest that biogenetic mechanisms underlying relationships among different phenotypes, even if they are causally related, can function differently in successive generations or in different age groups of biologically related individuals. The results suggest that the role of aging-related processes in changing environment may be conceptually underestimated in current genetic association studies using genome wide resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Box 90408, Trent Hall, Room 002, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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71
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Schupf N, Barral S, Perls T, Newman A, Christensen K, Thyagarajan B, Province M, Rossi WK, Mayeux R. Apolipoprotein E and familial longevity. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 34:1287-91. [PMID: 23040522 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Exceptional longevity is associated with substantial heritability. The ε4 allele in apolipoprotein E and the linked G allele in rs2075650 of TOMM40 have been associated with increased mortality and the ε2 allele with decreased mortality, although inconsistently. Offspring from long-lived families and spouse controls were recruited at 3 sites in the United States and Denmark. We used generalized estimating equations to compare the likelihood of carrying risk alleles in offspring (n = 2307) and spouse controls (n = 764), adjusting for age, sex, level of education, and family membership. The likelihood of carrying an APOE ε4 allele or a G allele in rs2075650 was lower (odds ratio [OR], 0.75; p = 0.005 and OR, 0.70; p = 0.002) and the likelihood of carrying an APOE ε2 allele was higher (OR, 1.5; p = 0.007) among family members in the offspring generation than among their spouse controls. Our findings support the hypothesis that both reduction in the frequency of the ε4 allele and increase in the frequency of the ε2 allele contribute to longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Schupf
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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72
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Dixon LR, McQuage MR, Lonon EJ, Buehler D, Seck O, Rueppell O. Pleiotropy of segregating genetic variants that affect honey bee worker life expectancy. Exp Gerontol 2012; 47:631-7. [PMID: 22664574 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2012.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2011] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to many other complex traits, the natural genetic architecture of life expectancy has not been intensely studied, particularly in non-model organisms, such as the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Multiple factors that determine honey bee worker lifespan have been identified and genetic analyses have been performed on some of those traits. Several of the traits are included in a suite of correlated traits that form the pollen hoarding syndrome, which was named after the behavior to store surplus pollen in the nest and is tied to social evolution. Here, seven quantitative trait loci that had previously been identified for their effects on different aspects of the pollen hoarding syndrome were studied for their genetic influence on the survival of adult honey bee workers. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic architecture of worker longevity, a panel of 280 additional SNP markers distributed across the genome was also tested. Allelic distributions were compared between young and old bees in two backcross populations of the bi-directionally selected high- and low-pollen hoarding strain. Our results suggest a pleiotropic effect of at least one of the behavioral quantitative trait loci on worker longevity and one significant and several other putative genetic effects in other genomic regions. At least one locus showed evidence for strong antagonistic pleiotropy and several others suggested genetic factors that influence pre-emergence survival of worker honey bees. Thus, the predicted association between worker lifespan and the pollen hoarding syndrome was supported at the genetic level and the magnitude of the identified effects also strengthened the view that naturally segregating genetic variation can have major effects on age-specific survival probability in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Dixon
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 312 Eberhart Building, Greensboro, NC 27403, USA
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73
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Iliadi KG, Knight D, Boulianne GL. Healthy aging - insights from Drosophila. Front Physiol 2012; 3:106. [PMID: 22529821 PMCID: PMC3328947 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human life expectancy has nearly doubled in the past century due, in part, to social and economic development, and a wide range of new medical technologies and treatments. As the number of elderly increase it becomes of vital importance to understand what factors contribute to healthy aging. Human longevity is a complex process that is affected by both environmental and genetic factors and interactions between them. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to identify the role of genetic components in human longevity. In contrast, model organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and rodents have facilitated the search for specific genes that affect lifespan. Experimental evidence obtained from studies in model organisms suggests that mutations in a single gene may increase longevity and delay the onset of age-related symptoms including motor impairments, sexual and reproductive and immune dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Furthermore, the high degree of conservation between diverse species in the genes and pathways that regulate longevity suggests that work in model organisms can both expand our theoretical knowledge of aging and perhaps provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin G Iliadi
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, ON, Canada
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74
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75
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Kachel AF, Premo LS. Disentangling the Evolution of Early and Late Life History Traits in Humans. Evol Biol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-012-9169-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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76
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Paik D, Jang YG, Lee YE, Lee YN, Yamamoto R, Gee HY, Yoo S, Bae E, Min KJ, Tatar M, Park JJ. Misexpression screen delineates novel genes controlling Drosophila lifespan. Mech Ageing Dev 2012; 133:234-45. [PMID: 22366109 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2012.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2011] [Revised: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In an initial preliminary screen we identified factors associated with controlling Drosophila aging by examining longevity in adults where EP elements induced over-expression or antisense-RNA at genes adjacent to each insertion. Here, we study 45 EP lines that initially showed at least 10% longer mean lifespan than controls. These 45 lines and a daughterless (da)-Gal4 stock were isogenized into a CS10 wild-type background. Sixteen EP lines corresponding to 15 genes significantly extended lifespan when their target genes were driven by da-Gal4. In each case, the target genes were seen to be over-expressed. Independently derived UAS-gene transgenic stocks were available or made for two candidates: ImpL2 which is ecdysone-inducible gene L2, and CG33138, 1,4-alpha-glucan branching enzyme. With both, adult lifespan was increased upon over-expression via the GeneSwitch inducible Gal4 driver system. Several genes in this set of 15 correspond to previously discovered longevity assurance systems such as insulin/IGF-1 signaling, gene silencing, and autophagy; others suggest new potential mechanisms for the control of aging including mRNA synthesis and maturation, intracellular vesicle trafficking, and neuroendocrine regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donggi Paik
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, 126-1 Anam-Dong 5 Ga, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea
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Tomassini C, Rosina A, Billari FC, Skytthe A, Christensen K. The Effect of Losing the Twin and Losing the Partner on Mortality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1375/twin.5.3.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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78
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Siegel JS. Health Inequalities, General Trends in Mortality and Morbidity, and Associated Factors. THE DEMOGRAPHY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN HEALTH AND AGING 2012. [PMCID: PMC7120743 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-1315-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
All measures of health status are ultimately derived from observations of individuals. At the field level we have such measures as self-assessed health status, report of a specific disease, record of a particular death, or an individual’s test on a biomarker, such as blood pressure or serum cholesterol. The observations for individuals are combined and summarized to represent subnational geographic areas, demographic or socioeconomic groups within countries, or national populations. The summary measures, whether they are percentages, averages, or rates, apply to groups. A problem arises when the measures that are based on groups are assumed to represent individuals. The analysis becomes especially problematic when the units analyzed are geographic areas and inferences are being made about individuals from the analysis for these geographic areas.
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Oguro R, Kamide K, Katsuya T, Akasaka H, Sugimoto K, Congrains A, Arai Y, Hirose N, Saitoh S, Ohishi M, Miura T, Rakugi H. A single nucleotide polymorphism of the adenosine deaminase, RNA-specific gene is associated with the serum triglyceride level, abdominal circumference, and serum adiponectin concentration. Exp Gerontol 2011; 47:183-7. [PMID: 22210125 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2011.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 11/24/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the adenosine deaminase, RNA-specific (ADAR) gene were reported to be associated with human longevity. There are possibilities that ADAR is associated with major risk factors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between SNPs of the ADAR gene and clinical data associated with major risk factors of atherosclerotic CVD. SUBJECTS A total of 1504 general population residents (586 males and 918 females) of two towns, Tanno-cho and Sobestu-cho, in Hokkaido, Japan. METHODS Clinical data associated with risk factors of atherosclerotic CVD were collected from these study subjects. DNA from peripheral blood and written informed consent were obtained. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms of ADARB1 and ADARB2, which were previously reported to be associated with longevity, were genotyped employing the TaqMan PCR method. The associations between SNPs in ADARB1 and ADARB2 and clinical parameters related to risk factors of atherosclerosis were analyzed. RESULTS On uni- and multivariate analyses, rs2805533 in ADARB2 was significantly associated with the abdominal circumference, body mass index, serum triglyceride level, and serum adiponectin level. The subjects with the AA genotype of rs2805533 had a greater abdominal circumference, higher body mass index, higher triglyceride level, and lower adiponectin level than those with AG and GG genotypes. CONCLUSION The SNP in ADARB2 related to longevity is associated with metabolic disorders. This finding suggests that genetic factors modulate human longevity via the regulation of metabolic factors such as abdominal obesity and lipid profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Oguro
- Department of Geriatric Medicine and Nephrology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565, Japan
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80
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Flachsbart F, Ufer M, Kleindorp R, Nikolaus S, Schreiber S, Nebel A. Genetic Variation in the CYP2C Monooxygenase Enzyme Subfamily Shows No Association With Longevity in a German Population. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2011; 66:1186-91. [DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glr117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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81
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Segatto M, Trapani L, Marino M, Pallottini V. Age- and sex-related differences in extra-hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor. J Cell Physiol 2011; 226:2610-6. [PMID: 21792919 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.22607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To determine whether differences in LDLr behavior in extra-hepatic tissues and whether extra-hepatic receptors could differentially contribute to cholesterol homeostasis under physiological conditions, we evaluated the presence and regulation of LDLr from both a gender and an aging perspective. We used the brain cortex, the gastrocnemius, and the heart ventricle of 3- and 12-month-old male and female rats. We observed a protein decrease of total LDLr in 12-month-old female rat brains that was completely restored by 17-β estradiol treatment. In the gastrocnemius, LDLr accumulates in the skeletal muscle in both male and female aged rats as a precursor probably due to a glycosylation impairment. In the heart, no modifications were observed in either older rats or rats of a specific gender. These data highlight a tissue-specific dysregulation of LDLr that is age- and gender-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Segatto
- Department of Biology, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
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82
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Christensen K, Kyvik KO, Holm NV, Skytthe A. Register-based research on twins. Scand J Public Health 2011; 39:185-90. [PMID: 21775381 DOI: 10.1177/1403494811399170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Danish Twin Registry (DTR) has for more than 50 years been based on surveys and clinical investigations and over the two last decades also on register linkage. Currently these two approaches are merged within Statistics Denmark. RESEARCH TOPICS Here we report on three major groups of register-based research in the DTR that used the uniqueness of twinning. First, we focus on the ''long-term prognosis'' of being a twin compared with being a singleton and show that Danish twins have health trajectories in adulthood similar to singletons, which is a result of interest for twins and their families as well as a test of the fetal origins hypothesis that states that fetal growth restriction has long-term health consequences. Secondly, we summarise some of the most important register-based ''classical twin studies'', e.g. heritability studies on lifespan and exceptional longevity. Finally, we illustrate how the co-twin control method in a register setting can be used to control for the effect of rearing environment and genetic factors in studies of the association between exposures and health. CONCLUSION The spectrum of register-based twin studies is very wide and have changed in accordance with methodological and data resource developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaare Christensen
- The Danish Twin Registry, Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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83
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The spatial association of gene expression evolves from synchrony to asynchrony and stochasticity with age. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24076. [PMID: 21912663 PMCID: PMC3166296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 07/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
For multicellular organisms, different tissues coordinate to integrate physiological functions, although this systematically and gradually declines in the aging process. Therefore, an association exists between tissue coordination and aging, and investigating the evolution of tissue coordination with age is of interest. In the past decade, both common and heterogeneous aging processes among tissues were extensively investigated. The results on spatial association of gene changes that determine lifespan appear complex and paradoxical. To reconcile observed commonality and heterogeneity of gene changes among tissues and to address evolution feature of tissue coordination with age, we introduced a new analytical strategy to systematically analyze genome-wide spatio-temporal gene expression profiles. We first applied the approach to natural aging process in three species (Rat, Mouse and Drosophila) and then to anti-aging process in Mouse. The results demonstrated that temporal gene expression alteration in different tissues experiences a progressive association evolution from spatial synchrony to asynchrony and stochasticity with age. This implies that tissue coordination gradually declines with age. Male mice showed earlier spatial asynchrony in gene expression than females, suggesting that male animals are more prone to aging than females. The confirmed anti-aging interventions (resveratrol and caloric restriction) enhanced tissue coordination, indicating their underlying anti-aging mechanism on multiple tissue levels. Further, functional analysis suggested asynchronous DNA/protein damage accumulation as well as asynchronous repair, modification and degradation of DNA/protein in tissues possibly contributes to asynchronous and stochastic changes of tissue microenvironment. This increased risk for a variety of age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer that eventually accelerate organismal aging and death. Our study suggests a novel molecular event occurring in aging process of multicellular species that may represent an intrinsic molecular mechanism of aging.
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84
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Deelen J, Beekman M, Uh HW, Helmer Q, Kuningas M, Christiansen L, Kremer D, van der Breggen R, Suchiman HED, Lakenberg N, van den Akker EB, Passtoors WM, Tiemeier H, van Heemst D, de Craen AJ, Rivadeneira F, de Geus EJ, Perola M, van der Ouderaa FJ, Gunn DA, Boomsma DI, Uitterlinden AG, Christensen K, van Duijn CM, Heijmans BT, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, Westendorp RGJ, Slagboom PE. Genome-wide association study identifies a single major locus contributing to survival into old age; the APOE locus revisited. Aging Cell 2011; 10:686-98. [PMID: 21418511 PMCID: PMC3193372 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2011.00705.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
By studying the loci that contribute to human longevity, we aim to identify mechanisms that contribute to healthy aging. To identify such loci, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) comparing 403 unrelated nonagenarians from long-living families included in the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS) and 1670 younger population controls. The strongest candidate SNPs from this GWAS have been analyzed in a meta-analysis of nonagenarian cases from the Rotterdam Study, Leiden 85-plus study, and Danish 1905 cohort. Only one of the 62 prioritized SNPs from the GWAS analysis (P < 1 × 10−4) showed genome-wide significance with survival into old age in the meta-analysis of 4149 nonagenarian cases and 7582 younger controls [OR = 0.71 (95% CI 0.65–0.77), P = 3.39 × 10−17]. This SNP, rs2075650, is located in TOMM40 at chromosome 19q13.32 close to the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. Although there was only moderate linkage disequilibrium between rs2075650 and the ApoE ε4 defining SNP rs429358, we could not find an APOE-independent effect of rs2075650 on longevity, either in cross-sectional or in longitudinal analyses. As expected, rs429358 associated with metabolic phenotypes in the offspring of the nonagenarian cases from the LLS and their partners. In addition, we observed a novel association between this locus and serum levels of IGF-1 in women (P = 0.005). In conclusion, the major locus determining familial longevity up to high age as detected by GWAS was marked by rs2075650, which tags the deleterious effects of the ApoE ε4 allele. No other major longevity locus was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Deelen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Beekman
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hae-Won Uh
- Section of Medical Statistics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Quinta Helmer
- Section of Medical Statistics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maris Kuningas
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lene Christiansen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Southern DenmarkJ.B. Winsløws Vej 9, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
- The Danish Aging Research Center, Institute of Public Health-EpidemiologyJ.B. Winsløws Vej 9 B, st. tv, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University HospitalDK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - Dennis Kremer
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - H Eka D Suchiman
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nico Lakenberg
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik B van den Akker
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Mediamatics, Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of TechnologyPO Box 5031, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn M Passtoors
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center and Sophia Children's HospitalPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Diana van Heemst
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anton J de Craen
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Fernando Rivadeneira
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eco J de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University AmsterdamVan der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Markus Perola
- National Institute for Health and WelfarePO Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Frans J van der Ouderaa
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - David A Gunn
- Unilever DiscoverColworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire MK44 1LQ, UK
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University AmsterdamVan der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - André G Uitterlinden
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kaare Christensen
- The Danish Aging Research Center, Institute of Public Health-EpidemiologyJ.B. Winsløws Vej 9 B, st. tv, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University HospitalDK-5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - Cornelia M van Duijn
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterPO Box 2040, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan T Heijmans
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Rudi G J Westendorp
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P Eline Slagboom
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical CenterPO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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85
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Rapid Evolution of Lifespan in a Novel Environment: Sex-Specific Responses and Underlying Genetic Architecture. Evol Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-011-9116-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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86
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Craig LA, Hong NS, McDonald RJ. Revisiting the cholinergic hypothesis in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1397-409. [PMID: 21392524 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Revised: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting the elderly population today; however, there is currently no accurate description of the etiology of this devastating disorder. No single factor has been demonstrated as being causative; however, an alternative co-factors theory suggests that the interaction of multiple risk factors is responsible for AD. We have used this model, in combination with the original cholinergic hypothesis of AD to propose a "new" cholinergic hypothesis that we present in this review. This new version takes into account recent findings from the literature and our reports of removal of medial septum cholinergic projections to the hippocampus reduces both behavioural and anatomical plasticity, resulting in greater cognitive impairment in response to secondary insults (stress, injury, disease, etc.). We will first summarize the experimental results and discuss some potential mechanisms that could explain our results. We will then present our 'new' version of the cholinergic hypothesis and how it relates to the field of AD research today. Finally we will discuss some of the implications for treatment that arise from this model and present directions for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Craig
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge; 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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87
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Slagboom PE, Beekman M, Passtoors WM, Deelen J, Vaarhorst AAM, Boer JM, van den Akker EB, van Heemst D, de Craen AJM, Maier AB, Rozing M, Mooijaart SP, Heijmans BT, Westendorp RGJ. Genomics of human longevity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:35-42. [PMID: 21115528 PMCID: PMC3001312 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In animal models, single-gene mutations in genes involved in insulin/IGF and target of rapamycin signalling pathways extend lifespan to a considerable extent. The genetic, genomic and epigenetic influences on human longevity are expected to be much more complex. Strikingly however, beneficial metabolic and cellular features of long-lived families resemble those in animals for whom the lifespan is extended by applying genetic manipulation and, especially, dietary restriction. Candidate gene studies in humans support the notion that human orthologues from longevity genes identified in lower species do contribute to longevity but that the influence of the genetic variants involved is small. Here we discuss how an integration of novel study designs, labour-intensive biobanking, deep phenotyping and genomic research may provide insights into the mechanisms that drive human longevity and healthy ageing, beyond the associations usually provided by molecular and genetic epidemiology. Although prospective studies of humans from the cradle to the grave have never been performed, it is feasible to extract life histories from different cohorts jointly covering the molecular changes that occur with age from early development all the way up to the age at death. By the integration of research in different study cohorts, and with research in animal models, biological research into human longevity is thus making considerable progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- P E Slagboom
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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88
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Kirkwood TBL, Shanley DP. The connections between general and reproductive senescence and the evolutionary basis of menopause. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2010; 1204:21-9. [PMID: 20738272 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05520.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We consider the relationship between the factors responsible for the general biology of aging and those that specifically influence the aging of the reproductive system. To understand this relationship it is necessary to be clear about the evolutionary forces acting on both sets of factors. Only in this way can the correct causal connections be established. Of particular significance is the existence in some species of a distinct period of postreproductive life. This is most striking in the case of the human menopause, for which a particular combination of biological and sociobiological factors appear to be responsible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B L Kirkwood
- Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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89
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de Magalhães JP, Finch CE, Janssens G. Next-generation sequencing in aging research: emerging applications, problems, pitfalls and possible solutions. Ageing Res Rev 2010; 9:315-23. [PMID: 19900591 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2009.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2009] [Revised: 10/17/2009] [Accepted: 10/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent technological advances that allow faster and cheaper DNA sequencing are now driving biological and medical research. In this review, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms and their applications, including in genome sequencing and resequencing, transcriptional profiling (RNA-Seq) and high-throughput survey of DNA-protein interactions (ChIP-Seq) and of the epigenome. Particularly, we focus on how new methods made possible by NGS can help unravel the biological and genetic mechanisms of aging, longevity and age-related diseases. In the same way, however, NGS platforms open discovery not available before, they also give rise to new challenges, in particular in processing, analyzing and interpreting the data. Bioinformatics and software issues plus statistical difficulties in genome-wide studies are discussed, as well as the use of targeted sequencing to decrease costs and facilitate statistical analyses. Lastly, we discuss a number of methods to gather biological insights from massive amounts of data, such as functional enrichment, transcriptional regulation and network analyses. Although in the fast-moving field of NGS new platforms will soon take center stage, the approaches made possible by NGS will be at the basis of molecular biology, genetics and systems biology for years to come, making them instrumental for research on aging.
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90
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Pruchno RA, Wilson-Genderson M, Rose M, Cartwright F. Successful Aging: Early Influences and Contemporary Characteristics. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2010; 50:821-33. [DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnq041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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91
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Abstract
Many laboratory models used in aging research are inappropriate for understanding senescence in mammals, including humans, because of fundamental differences in life history, maintenance in artificial environments, and selection for early aging and high reproductive rate. Comparative studies of senescence in birds and mammals reveal a broad range in rates of aging among a variety of taxa with similar physiology and patterns of development. These comparisons suggest that senescence is a shared property of all vertebrates with determinate growth, that the rate of senescence has been modified by evolution in response to the potential life span allowed by extrinsic mortality factors, and that most variation among species in the rate of senescence is independent of commonly ascribed causes of aging, such as oxidative damage. Individuals of potentially long-lived species, particularly birds, appear to maintain high condition to near the end of life. Because most individuals in natural populations of such species die of aging-related causes, these populations likely harbor little genetic variation for mechanisms that could extend life further, or these mechanisms are very costly. This, and the apparent evolutionary conservatism in the rate of increase in mortality with age, suggests that variation in the rate of senescence reflects fundamental changes in organism structure, likely associated with the rate of development, rather than physiological or biochemical processes influenced by a few genes. Understanding these evolved differences between long-lived and short-lived organisms would seem to be an essential foundation for designing therapeutic interventions with respect to human aging and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Ricklefs
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, MO 63121-4499, USA.
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92
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Huang SF, Li ZY, Wang XQ, Wang QX, Hu FF. Cerium caused life span shortening and oxidative stress resistance in Drosophila melanogaster. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2010; 73:89-93. [PMID: 19828196 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2009.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2008] [Revised: 09/14/2009] [Accepted: 09/15/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the effects of the rare earth element cerium (Ce) on the life span and biomarkers of oxidative stress in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Fruit flies were fed on media with different dose of ceric sulfate (1, 4, 16, 64, 256, 1024mg/L, corresponding to cerium concentrations of 0.45, 1.65, 6.91, 26.3, 104, and 429microg/g culture medium). Mean life span, maximum life span, and fertility were calculated. There was a significant decrease in mean life span and maximum life span with increasing doses of cerium. At some concentrations, there was a decrease in reproductive output, especially concentrations >6.91microg/g. We also measured superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and lipid peroxidation product levels (malondialdehyde (MDA) content). Cerium caused a significant increase in MDA content and decrease in SOD and CAT activities at concentrations >6.91microg/g. These results suggest that cerium may result in oxidative toxicity to D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Feng Huang
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Life Science, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, PR China
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93
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Graves JL. Biological V. Social Definitions of Race: Implications for Modern Biomedical Research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s12114-009-9053-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Misconceptions concerning the concordance of biological and social definitions of race are ongoing in American society. This problem extends beyond that of the lay public into the professional arena, especially that of biomedical research. This continues, in part, because of the lack of training of many biomedical practitioners in evolutionary thinking. This essay reviews the biological and social definitions of race, examining how understanding the evolutionary mechanisms of disease is crucial to addressing ongoing health disparities. Finally it concludes by laying bear the fallacies of “race-specific” medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L. Graves
- Division of University Studies, North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 E. Market St., Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
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94
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Sebastiani P, Montano M, Puca A, Solovieff N, Kojima T, Wang MC, Melista E, Meltzer M, Fischer SEJ, Andersen S, Hartley SH, Sedgewick A, Arai Y, Bergman A, Barzilai N, Terry DF, Riva A, Anselmi CV, Malovini A, Kitamoto A, Sawabe M, Arai T, Gondo Y, Steinberg MH, Hirose N, Atzmon G, Ruvkun G, Baldwin CT, Perls TT. RNA editing genes associated with extreme old age in humans and with lifespan in C. elegans. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8210. [PMID: 20011587 PMCID: PMC2788130 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The strong familiality of living to extreme ages suggests that human longevity is genetically regulated. The majority of genes found thus far to be associated with longevity primarily function in lipoprotein metabolism and insulin/IGF-1 signaling. There are likely many more genetic modifiers of human longevity that remain to be discovered. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we first show that 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RNA editing genes ADARB1 and ADARB2 are associated with extreme old age in a U.S. based study of centenarians, the New England Centenarian Study. We describe replications of these findings in three independently conducted centenarian studies with different genetic backgrounds (Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish and Japanese) that collectively support an association of ADARB1 and ADARB2 with longevity. Some SNPs in ADARB2 replicate consistently in the four populations and suggest a strong effect that is independent of the different genetic backgrounds and environments. To evaluate the functional association of these genes with lifespan, we demonstrate that inactivation of their orthologues adr-1 and adr-2 in C. elegans reduces median survival by 50%. We further demonstrate that inactivation of the argonaute gene, rde-1, a critical regulator of RNA interference, completely restores lifespan to normal levels in the context of adr-1 and adr-2 loss of function. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results suggest that RNA editors may be an important regulator of aging in humans and that, when evaluated in C. elegans, this pathway may interact with the RNA interference machinery to regulate lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sebastiani
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Monty Montano
- Department of Medicine Sections of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Annibale Puca
- Department of Genetics, IRCCS Multimedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Solovieff
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Toshio Kojima
- Computational Systems Biology Research Group, Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Meng C. Wang
- Department of Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Efthymia Melista
- Center for Human Genetics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Micah Meltzer
- Department of Medicine Sections of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sylvia E. J. Fischer
- Department of Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stacy Andersen
- Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephen H. Hartley
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Amanda Sedgewick
- Department of Bioengineering, Boston University School of Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yasumichi Arai
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aviv Bergman
- Department of Systems & Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Institute of Aging Research and Diabetes Research Center, Departments of Medicine and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Dellara F. Terry
- Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alberto Riva
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida at Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | | | | | - Aya Kitamoto
- Computational Systems Biology Research Group, Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Motoji Sawabe
- Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomio Arai
- Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Gondo
- Clinical Thanatology and Geriatric Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Martin H. Steinberg
- Center for Human Genetics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nobuyoshi Hirose
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gil Atzmon
- Institute of Aging Research and Diabetes Research Center, Departments of Medicine and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Gary Ruvkun
- Department of Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Clinton T. Baldwin
- Center for Human Genetics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thomas T. Perls
- Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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95
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Apolipoprotein E and its role in aging and survival. Exp Gerontol 2009; 45:149-57. [PMID: 19941948 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2009.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2009] [Revised: 10/15/2009] [Accepted: 11/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The study of biological aging has seen spectacular progress in the last decade and markers are increasingly employed for understanding physiological processes that change with age. Recently, it has been demonstrated that apolipoprotein E (apoE) has a major impact on longevity, but its mechanisms are still not fully understood. ApoE-deficient (E(o)) mice have proved to be a very popular model for studying spontaneous hypercholesterolemia and the subsequent development of atherosclerotic lesions, but only limited data are available with regard to aging and aging changes. We used this murine model to better characterize the involvement of apoE in aging and to evaluate its role in the maintenance of normal organ morphology. Our results show that E(0) mice at different ages (6, 12, 20 weeks old) developed age-dependent morphological and biochemical alterations, including fibrosis (newly formed collagen), pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and iNOS), lipofuscin accumulation, and decrease of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) in several organs (kidney, liver and heart). It is significant that the observed degenerative findings in E(0) mice at different ages (6, 12, 20 weeks old) were not identified in control mice (C57BL), at 6, 12 and 20 weeks of age. Consequently, since these mice showed enzymatic and structural alterations, normally linked to the age, such as increase of lipofuscin, pro-inflammatory cytokines and decrease of antioxidant enzymes, we can conclude that apoE is a useful player in studies of longevity and age-related diseases, such as inflammatory status and atherosclerosis that are known risk factors for functional decline and early mortality. Moreover, it is possible that apoE may also play a role in other pathological conditions including, for example, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and macular degeneration.
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96
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Trapani L, Violo F, Pallottini V. Hypercholesterolemia and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase regulation in aged female rats. Exp Gerontol 2009; 45:119-28. [PMID: 19895880 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2009.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 10/12/2009] [Accepted: 10/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Coronary heart disease is less prevalent in pre-menopausal women than in men, but increases at the onset of menopause. This delay is due to estrogen protective effects. The rise of cholesterolemia is one of the main risk factors for coronary disease. Since 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is the rate-limiting enzyme of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, it plays a pivotal role in cholesterol homeostasis maintenance. Aim of this study is to investigate whether HMGR is involved in the cholesterolemia increase that occurs during aging, and to consider its potential role as a target for estrogen protective effects. "In vivo" studies have been performed using the livers of 12-month-old female rats (whose estrogen level decrease is comparable to the one detected at the occurrence of human menopause), 12-month-old female rats treated with 17-beta-estradiol, and 3-month-old untreated male and female rats. The results indicated hypercholesterolemic status and a significant increase of HMGR activity according to a reduced activation of AMPK detected in treated rats compared to controls. Furthermore, 17-beta estradiol treatment reduced HMGR activity restoring AMPK activation. These findings highlight the correlation between estrogen and HMGR short-term regulation, and suggest the presence of another mechanism underlying the protective role of estrogen in age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Trapani
- Department of Biology, University Roma Tre, Viale Marconi 446, Rome, Italy
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97
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Ujvari B, Madsen T. Short telomeres in hatchling snakes: erythrocyte telomere dynamics and longevity in tropical pythons. PLoS One 2009; 4:e7493. [PMID: 19834611 PMCID: PMC2759514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Telomere length (TL) has been found to be associated with life span in birds and humans. However, other studies have demonstrated that TL does not affect survival among old humans. Furthermore, replicative senescence has been shown to be induced by changes in the protected status of the telomeres rather than the loss of TL. In the present study we explore whether age- and sex-specific telomere dynamics affect life span in a long-lived snake, the water python (Liasis fuscus). Methodology/Principal Findings Erythrocyte TL was measured using the Telo TAGGG TL Assay Kit (Roche). In contrast to other vertebrates, TL of hatchling pythons was significantly shorter than that of older snakes. However, during their first year of life hatchling TL increased substantially. While TL of older snakes decreased with age, we did not observe any correlation between TL and age in cross-sectional sampling. In older snakes, female TL was longer than that of males. When using recapture as a proxy for survival, our results do not support that longer telomeres resulted in an increased water python survival/longevity. Conclusions/Significance In fish high telomerase activity has been observed in somatic cells exhibiting high proliferation rates. Hatchling pythons show similar high somatic cell proliferation rates. Thus, the increase in TL of this group may have been caused by increased telomerase activity. In older humans female TL is longer than that of males. This has been suggested to be caused by high estrogen levels that stimulate increased telomerase activity. Thus, high estrogen levels may also have caused the longer telomeres in female pythons. The lack of correlation between TL and age among old snakes and the fact that longer telomeres did not appear to affect python survival do not support that erythrocyte telomere dynamics has a major impact on water python longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Ujvari
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas Madsen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Animal Ecology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Science, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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98
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99
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Rajawat YS, Hilioti Z, Bossis I. Aging: central role for autophagy and the lysosomal degradative system. Ageing Res Rev 2009; 8:199-213. [PMID: 19427410 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2009.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2009] [Revised: 05/01/2009] [Accepted: 05/01/2009] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The lysosomal network is the major intracellular proteolytic system accounting for more than 98% of long-lived bulk protein degradation and recycling particularly in tissues such as liver and muscles. Lysosomes are the final destination of intracellular damaged structures, identified and sequestered by the processes of macroautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). In the process of macroautophagy, long-lived proteins and other macromolecular aggregates and damaged intracellular organelles are first engulfed by autophagosomes. Autophagosomes themselves have limited degrading capacity and rely on fusion with lysosomes. Unlike macroautophagy, CMA does not require intermediate vesicle formation and the cytosolic proteins recognized by this pathway are directly translocated to the lysosomal membrane. Aging is a universal phenomenon characterized by progressive deterioration of cells and organs due to accumulation of macromolecular and organelle damage. The continuous removal of worn-out components and replacement with newly synthesized ones ensures cellular homeostasis and delays the aging process. Growing evidence indicate that the rate of autophagosome formation and maturation and the efficiency of autophagosome/lysosome fusion decline with age. In addition, a progressive increase in intralysosomal concentration of free radicals and the age pigment lipofuscin further diminish the efficiency of lysosomal protein degradation. Therefore, integrity of the autophagosomal-lysosomal network appears to be critical in the progression of aging. Discovery of the genes involved in the process of autophagy has provided insight into the various molecular pathways that may be involved in aging and senescence. In this review, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy and the role of autophagosome/lysosome network in the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogendra S Rajawat
- University of Maryland, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD 20742, United States
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100
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Abstract
Heat-shock proteins (Hsps) are increasingly being implicated in aging phenotypes and control of life span across species. They are targets of the conserved heat-shock factor and insulin/IGF1-like signaling pathways that affect life span and aging phenotypes. Hsps are expressed in tissue-specific and disease-specific patterns during aging, and their level of expression and induction by stress correlates with and, in some instances, predicts life span. In model organisms, Hsps have been shown to increase life span and ameliorate aging-associated proteotoxicity. Finally, Hsps have emerged as key components in regulating aging-related cellular phenotypes, including cell senescence, apoptosis and cancer. The Hsps, therefore, provide a metric of individual stress and aging and are potential targets for interventions in aging and aging-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2910, USA.
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