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Accelerated epigenetic aging in brain is associated with pre-mortem HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. J Neurovirol 2015; 22:366-75. [PMID: 26689571 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-015-0406-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
HIV infection leads to age-related conditions in relatively young persons. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are considered among the most prevalent of these conditions. To study the mechanisms underlying this disorder, researchers need an accurate method for measuring biological aging. Here, we apply a recently developed measure of biological aging, based on DNA methylation, to the study of biological aging in HIV+ brains. Retrospective analysis of tissue bank specimens and pre-mortem data was carried out. Fifty-eight HIV+ adults underwent a medical and neurocognitive evaluation within 1 year of death. DNA was obtained from occipital cortex and analyzed with the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450K platform. Biological age determined via the epigenetic clock was contrasted with chronological age to obtain a measure of age acceleration, which was then compared between those with HAND and neurocognitively normal individuals. The HAND and neurocognitively normal groups did not differ with regard to demographic, histologic, neuropathologic, or virologic variables. HAND was associated with accelerated aging relative to neurocognitively normal individuals, with average relative acceleration of 3.5 years. Age acceleration did not correlate with pre-mortem neurocognitive functioning or HAND severity. This is the first study to demonstrate that the epigenetic age of occipital cortex samples is associated with HAND status in HIV+ individuals pre-mortem. While these results suggest that the increased risk of a neurocognitive disorder due to HIV might be mediated by an epigenetic aging mechanism, future studies will be needed to validate the findings and dissect causal relationships and downstream effects.
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302
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Li RQ, Ouyang NY, Ou SB, Ni RM, Mai MQ, Zhang QX, Yang DZ, Wang WJ. Does reducing gamete co-incubation time improve clinical outcomes: a retrospective study. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 33:33-8. [PMID: 26631402 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0618-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this retrospective study was to determine whether patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) benefit from reducing the gamete co-incubation time. METHODS Patients (n = 570) were enrolled, including 281 patients in the reduced incubation time group (2-h incubation) and 289 patients in the standard IVF group (18-h incubation). RESULTS The observed outcomes, including the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR), live birth rate (LBR), and miscarriage rate (MR), were similar between the two groups. When the data were divided into two subgroups based on the maternal age (≤30 and >30 years), the rates of top-quality embryos (30.83 vs. 25.89 %; p = 0.028), CPR (66.67 vs. 42.11 %; p = 0.013), and IR (41.90 vs. 31.25 %, p = 0.019) of the 2-h incubation group were significantly higher in the younger subgroup. However, for older patients, only a lower MR (7.59 vs. 20.83 %; p = 0.019) was achieved. Reducing the time of incubation still improved the CPR (OR = 1.993, 95 % CI 1.141-3.480) and MR (OR = 3.173, 95 % CI 1.013-9.936) in the younger and older subgroups, respectively, after it was adjusted for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS Reducing incubation time improves the clinical results of IVF, although the LBR is not statistically different between the 2- and 18-h incubation time groups. And the specific clinical outcomes of reducing incubation time varied between the >30-year-old and the ≤30-year-old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Qi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Neng-Yong Ouyang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Song-Bang Ou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Ren-Min Ni
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Mei-Qi Mai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Qing-Xue Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Dong-Zi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
| | - Wen-Jun Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120.
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303
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Sun Y, Sahbaie P, Liang D, Li W, Shi X, Kingery P, Clark JD. DNA Methylation Modulates Nociceptive Sensitization after Incision. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142046. [PMID: 26535894 PMCID: PMC4633178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a key epigenetic mechanism controlling DNA accessibility and gene expression. Blockade of DNA methylation can significantly affect pain behaviors implicated in neuropathic and inflammatory pain. However, the role of DNA methylation with regard to postoperative pain has not yet been explored. In this study we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in modulating incisional pain and identify possible targets under DNA methylation and contributing to incisional pain. DNA methyltranferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine significantly reduced incision-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal sensitivity. Aza-2′-deoxycytidine also reduced hindpaw swelling after incision, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect. Global DNA methylation and DNMT3b expression were increased in skin after incision, but none of DNMT1, DNMT3a or DNMT3b was altered in spinal cord or DRG. The expression of proopiomelanocortin Pomc encoding β-endorphin and Oprm1 encoding the mu-opioid receptor were upregulated peripherally after incision; moreover, Oprm1 expression was further increased under DNMT inhibitor treatment. Finally, local peripheral injection of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone significantly exacerbated incision-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. These results suggest that DNA methylation is functionally relevant to incisional nociceptive sensitization, and that mu-opioid receptor signaling might be one methylation regulated pathway controlling sensitization after incision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Peyman Sahbaie
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - DeYong Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Wenwu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Xiaoyou Shi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Paige Kingery
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - J. David Clark
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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304
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Van houcke J, De Groef L, Dekeyster E, Moons L. The zebrafish as a gerontology model in nervous system aging, disease, and repair. Ageing Res Rev 2015; 24:358-68. [PMID: 26538520 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Considering the increasing number of elderly in the world's population today, developing effective treatments for age-related pathologies is one of the biggest challenges in modern medical research. Age-related neurodegeneration, in particular, significantly impacts important sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, seriously constraining life quality of many patients. Although our understanding of the causal mechanisms of aging has greatly improved in recent years, animal model systems still have much to tell us about this complex process. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have gained enormous popularity for this research topic over the past decade, since their life span is relatively short but, like humans, they are still subject to gradual aging. In addition, the extensive characterization of its well-conserved molecular and cellular physiology makes the zebrafish an excellent model to unravel the underlying mechanisms of aging, disease, and repair. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in zebrafish gerontology, with special emphasis on nervous system aging. We review the evidence that classic hallmarks of aging can also be recognized within this small vertebrate, both at the molecular and cellular level. Moreover, we illustrate the high level of similarity with age-associated human pathologies through a survey of the functional deficits that arise as zebrafish age.
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305
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Basic mechanisms of longevity: A case study of Drosophila pro-longevity genes. Ageing Res Rev 2015; 24:218-31. [PMID: 26318059 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila is one of the most convenient model organisms in the genetics of aging and longevity. Unlike the nematodes, which allow for the detection of new pro-aging genes by knockout and RNAi-mediated knock-down, Drosophila also provides an opportunity to find new pro-longevity genes by driver-induced overexpression. Similar studies on other models are extremely rare. In this review, we focused on genes whose overexpression prolongs the life of fruit flies. The majority of longevity-associated genes regulates metabolism and stress resistance, and belongs to the IGF-1R, PI3K, PKB, AMPK and TOR metabolic regulation cluster and the FOXO, HDAC, p53 stress response cluster.
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306
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Levine AJ, Phipps AI, Baron JA, Buchanan DD, Ahnen DJ, Cohen SA, Lindor NM, Newcomb PA, Rosty C, Haile RW, Laird PW, Weisenberger DJ. Clinicopathologic Risk Factor Distributions for MLH1 Promoter Region Methylation in CIMP-Positive Tumors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015; 25:68-75. [PMID: 26512054 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-15-0935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) is a major molecular pathway in colorectal cancer. Approximately 25% to 60% of CIMP tumors are microsatellite unstable (MSI-H) due to DNA hypermethylation of the MLH1 gene promoter. Our aim was to determine if the distributions of clinicopathologic factors in CIMP-positive tumors with MLH1 DNA methylation differed from those in CIMP-positive tumors without DNA methylation of MLH1. METHODS We assessed the associations between age, sex, tumor-site, MSI status BRAF and KRAS mutations, and family colorectal cancer history with MLH1 methylation status in a large population-based sample of CIMP-positive colorectal cancers defined by a 5-marker panel using unconditional logistic regression to assess the odds of MLH1 methylation by study variables. RESULTS Subjects with CIMP-positive tumors without MLH1 methylation were significantly younger, more likely to be male, and more likely to have distal colon or rectal primaries and the MSI-L phenotype. CIMP-positive MLH1-unmethylated tumors were significantly less likely than CIMP-positive MLH1-methylated tumors to harbor a BRAF V600E mutation and significantly more likely to harbor a KRAS mutation. MLH1 methylation was associated with significantly better overall survival (HR, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.82). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that MLH1 methylation in CIMP-positive tumors is not a completely random event and implies that there are environmental or genetic determinants that modify the probability that MLH1 will become methylated during CIMP pathogenesis. IMPACT MLH1 DNA methylation status should be taken into account in etiologic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Joan Levine
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
| | - Amanda I Phipps
- Epidemiology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - John A Baron
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Daniel D Buchanan
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dennis J Ahnen
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado
| | - Stacey A Cohen
- Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Noralane M Lindor
- Clinical and Molecular Genetics, Department of Health Science Research, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Polly A Newcomb
- Epidemiology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Christophe Rosty
- Envoi Pathology, Brisbane, QLD, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robert W Haile
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Peter W Laird
- Center for Epigenomics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Daniel J Weisenberger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
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307
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de Boni L, Riedel L, Schmitt I, Kraus TFJ, Kaut O, Piston D, Akbarian S, Wüllner U. DNA methylation levels of α-synuclein intron 1 in the aging brain. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:3334.e7-3334.e11. [PMID: 26422361 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation patterns change with age, and aging itself is a major confounding risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). Duplication and triplication, that is, increased expression of the α-synuclein (SNCA) gene, cause familial PD, and demethylation of SNCA intron 1 has been shown to result in increased expression of SNCA. We thus hypothesized that age-related alterations of SNCA methylation might underly the increased susceptibility toward PD in later life. The present study sought to determine (1) whether alterations of SNCA intron 1 methylation occurred during aging, (2) whether the methylation pattern differed between men and women, and (3) whether purified neurons compared with non-neuronal cells exhibited different methylation patterns. The analysis of DNA from brain tissue and fluorescence activated cell sorting-sorted purified neurons of 41 individuals revealed only a minor increase of SNCA intron 1 DNA methylation levels in presumably healthy individuals during aging but no significant difference between men and women. Interestingly enough, methylation of SNCA intron 1 was higher in neurons compared with non-neuronal cells, although non-neuronal cells express lower levels of SNCA. Therefore, the normal pattern of SNCA methylation during aging should not result in increased expression of α-synuclein protein. It is thus likely that additional, yet not identified, mechanisms contribute to the tissue specificity of SNCA expression and the presumed dysregulation in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura de Boni
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Linda Riedel
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ina Schmitt
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo F J Kraus
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research (ZNP), Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Oliver Kaut
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dominik Piston
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hess Center for Science and Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ullrich Wüllner
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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308
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Montgomery RR, Shaw AC. Paradoxical changes in innate immunity in aging: recent progress and new directions. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:937-43. [PMID: 26188078 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.5mr0315-104r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence, describing alterations, including decline of immune responses with age, is comprised of inappropriate elevations, decreases, and dysregulated immune responses, leading to more severe consequences of bacterial and viral infections and reduced responses to vaccination. In adaptive immunity, these changes include increased proportions of antigen-experienced B and T cells at the cost of naïve cell populations. Innate immune changes in aging are complex in spanning multiple cell types, activation states, and tissue context. Innate immune responses are dampened in aging, yet there is also a paradoxical increase in certain signaling pathways and cytokine levels. Here, we review recent progress and highlight novel directions for expected advances that can lead the aging field to a new era of discovery that will embrace the complexity of aging in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth R Montgomery
- Sections of *Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Albert C Shaw
- Sections of *Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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309
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Jung M, Jin SG, Zhang X, Xiong W, Gogoshin G, Rodin AS, Pfeifer GP. Longitudinal epigenetic and gene expression profiles analyzed by three-component analysis reveal down-regulation of genes involved in protein translation in human aging. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:e100. [PMID: 25977295 PMCID: PMC4551908 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Data on biological mechanisms of aging are mostly obtained from cross-sectional study designs. An inherent disadvantage of this design is that inter-individual differences can mask small but biologically significant age-dependent changes. A serially sampled design (same individual at different time points) would overcome this problem but is often limited by the relatively small numbers of available paired samples and the statistics being used. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new vector-based approach, termed three-component analysis, which incorporates temporal distance, signal intensity and variance into one single score for gene ranking and is combined with gene set enrichment analysis. We tested our method on a unique age-based sample set of human skin fibroblasts and combined genome-wide transcription, DNA methylation and histone methylation (H3K4me3 and H3K27me3) data. Importantly, our method can now for the first time demonstrate a clear age-dependent decrease in expression of genes coding for proteins involved in translation and ribosome function. Using analogies with data from lower organisms, we propose a model where age-dependent down-regulation of protein translation-related components contributes to extend human lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Jung
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Seung-Gi Jin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wenying Xiong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Grigoriy Gogoshin
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Andrei S Rodin
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Gerd P Pfeifer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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310
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Jones TI, King OD, Himeda CL, Homma S, Chen JCJ, Beermann ML, Yan C, Emerson CP, Miller JB, Wagner KR, Jones PL. Individual epigenetic status of the pathogenic D4Z4 macrosatellite correlates with disease in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Clin Epigenetics 2015; 7:37. [PMID: 25904990 PMCID: PMC4405830 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-015-0072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Both forms of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) are associated with aberrant epigenetic regulation of the chromosome 4q35 D4Z4 macrosatellite. Chromatin changes due to large deletions of heterochromatin (FSHD1) or mutations in chromatin regulatory proteins (FSHD2) lead to relaxation of epigenetic repression and increased expression of the deleterious double homeobox 4 (DUX4) gene encoded within the distal D4Z4 repeat. However, many individuals with the genetic requirements for FSHD remain asymptomatic throughout their lives. Here we investigated family cohorts of FSHD1 individuals who were either affected (manifesting) or without any discernible weakness (nonmanifesting/asymptomatic) and their unaffected family members to determine if individual epigenetic status and stability of repression at the contracted 4q35 D4Z4 array in myocytes correlates with FSHD disease. Results Family cohorts were analyzed for DNA methylation on the distal pathogenic 4q35 D4Z4 repeat on permissive A-type subtelomeres. We found DNA hypomethylation in FSHD1-affected subjects, hypermethylation in healthy controls, and distinctly intermediate levels of methylation in nonmanifesting subjects. We next tested if these differences in DNA methylation had functional relevance by assaying DUX4-fl expression and the stability of epigenetic repression of DUX4-fl in myogenic cells. Treatment with drugs that alter epigenetic status revealed that healthy cells were refractory to treatment, maintaining stable repression of DUX4, while FSHD1-affected cells were highly responsive to treatment and thus epigenetically poised to express DUX4. Myocytes from nonmanifesting subjects had significantly higher levels of DNA methylation and were more resistant to DUX4 activation in response to epigenetic drug treatment than cells from FSHD1-affected first-degree relatives containing the same contraction, indicating that the epigenetic status of the contracted D4Z4 array is reflective of disease. Conclusions The epigenetic status of the distal 4qA D4Z4 repeat correlates with FSHD disease; FSHD-affected subjects have hypomethylation, healthy unaffected subjects have hypermethylation, and nonmanifesting subjects have characteristically intermediate methylation. Thus, analysis of DNA methylation at the distal D4Z4 repeat could be used as a diagnostic indicator of developing clinical FSHD. In addition, the stability of epigenetic repression upstream of DUX4 expression is a key regulator of disease and a viable therapeutic target. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13148-015-0072-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako I Jones
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Oliver D King
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Charis L Himeda
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Sachiko Homma
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Jennifer C J Chen
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Mary Lou Beermann
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1, Shizishan Street, Wuhan, 430070 People's Republic of China
| | - Charles P Emerson
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Jeffrey B Miller
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Kathryn R Wagner
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA ; The Hugo W. Moser Research Institute, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Peter L Jones
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
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