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Smulders L, Deelen J. Genetics of human longevity: From variants to genes to pathways. J Intern Med 2024; 295:416-435. [PMID: 37941149 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The current increase in lifespan without an equivalent increase in healthspan poses a grave challenge to the healthcare system and a severe burden on society. However, some individuals seem to be able to live a long and healthy life without the occurrence of major debilitating chronic diseases, and part of this trait seems to be hidden in their genome. In this review, we discuss the findings from studies on the genetic component of human longevity and the main challenges accompanying these studies. We subsequently focus on results from genetic studies in model organisms and comparative genomic approaches to highlight the most important conserved longevity-associated pathways. By combining the results from studies using these different approaches, we conclude that only five main pathways have been consistently linked to longevity, namely (1) insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signalling, (2) DNA-damage response and repair, (3) immune function, (4) cholesterol metabolism and (5) telomere maintenance. As our current approaches to study the relevance of these pathways in humans are limited, we suggest that future studies on the genetics of human longevity should focus on the identification and functional characterization of rare genetic variants in genes involved in these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Smulders
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Joris Deelen
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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2
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Yeh CH, Shen ZQ, Wang TW, Kao CH, Teng YC, Yeh TK, Lu CK, Tsai TF. Hesperetin promotes longevity and delays aging via activation of Cisd2 in naturally aged mice. J Biomed Sci 2022; 29:53. [PMID: 35871686 PMCID: PMC9310407 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-022-00838-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The human CISD2 gene is located within a longevity region mapped on chromosome 4q. In mice, Cisd2 levels decrease during natural aging and genetic studies have shown that a high level of Cisd2 prolongs mouse lifespan and healthspan. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of using a Cisd2 activator as an effective way of delaying aging.
Methods
Hesperetin was identified as a promising Cisd2 activator by herb compound library screening. Hesperetin has no detectable toxicity based on in vitro and in vivo models. Naturally aged mice fed dietary hesperetin were used to investigate the effect of this Cisd2 activator on lifespan prolongation and the amelioration of age-related structural defects and functional decline. Tissue-specific Cisd2 knockout mice were used to study the Cisd2-dependent anti-aging effects of hesperetin. RNA sequencing was used to explore the biological effects of hesperetin on aging.
Results
Three discoveries are pinpointed. Firstly, hesperetin, a promising Cisd2 activator, when orally administered late in life, enhances Cisd2 expression and prolongs healthspan in old mice. Secondly, hesperetin functions mainly in a Cisd2-dependent manner to ameliorate age-related metabolic decline, body composition changes, glucose dysregulation, and organ senescence. Finally, a youthful transcriptome pattern is regained after hesperetin treatment during old age.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that a Cisd2 activator, hesperetin, represents a promising and broadly effective translational approach to slowing down aging and promoting longevity via the activation of Cisd2.
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3
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Identification of novel genes associated with longevity in Drosophila melanogaster - a computational approach. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:11244-11267. [PMID: 31794428 PMCID: PMC6932890 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite a growing number of studies on longevity in Drosophila, genetic factors influencing lifespan are still poorly understood. In this paper we propose a conceptually new approach for the identification of novel longevity-associated genes and potential target genes for SNPs in non-coding regions by utilizing the knowledge of co-location of various loci, governed by the three-dimensional architecture of the Drosophila genome. Firstly, we created networks between genes/genomic regions harboring SNPs deemed to be significant in two longevity GWAS summary statistics datasets using intra- and inter-chromosomal interaction frequencies (Hi-C data) as a measure of co-location. These networks were further extended to include regions strongly interacting with previously selected regions. Using various network measures, literature search and additional bioinformatics resources, we investigated the plausibility of genes found to have genuine association with longevity. Several of the newly identified genes were common between the two GWAS datasets and these possessed human orthologs. We also found that the proportion of non-coding SNPs in borders between topologically associated domains is significantly higher than expected by chance. Assuming co-location, we investigated potential target genes for non-coding SNPs. This approach therefore offers a stepping stone to identification of novel genes and SNP targets linked to human longevity.
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Morris BJ, Willcox BJ, Donlon TA. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of human aging and longevity. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1865:1718-1744. [PMID: 31109447 PMCID: PMC7295568 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Here we summarize the latest data on genetic and epigenetic contributions to human aging and longevity. Whereas environmental and lifestyle factors are important at younger ages, the contribution of genetics appears more important in reaching extreme old age. Genome-wide studies have implicated ~57 gene loci in lifespan. Epigenomic changes during aging profoundly affect cellular function and stress resistance. Dysregulation of transcriptional and chromatin networks is likely a crucial component of aging. Large-scale bioinformatic analyses have revealed involvement of numerous interaction networks. As the young well-differentiated cell replicates into eventual senescence there is drift in the highly regulated chromatin marks towards an entropic middle-ground between repressed and active, such that genes that were previously inactive "leak". There is a breakdown in chromatin connectivity such that topologically associated domains and their insulators weaken, and well-defined blocks of constitutive heterochromatin give way to generalized, senescence-associated heterochromatin, foci. Together, these phenomena contribute to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Morris
- Basic & Clinical Genomics Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia; Honolulu Heart Program (HHP)/Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS), Department of Research, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States; Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Kuakini Medical Center Campus, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States.
| | - Bradley J Willcox
- Honolulu Heart Program (HHP)/Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS), Department of Research, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States; Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Kuakini Medical Center Campus, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States.
| | - Timothy A Donlon
- Honolulu Heart Program (HHP)/Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS), Department of Research, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States; Departments of Cell & Molecular Biology and Pathology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States.
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5
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Hook M, Roy S, Williams EG, Bou Sleiman M, Mozhui K, Nelson JF, Lu L, Auwerx J, Williams RW. Genetic cartography of longevity in humans and mice: Current landscape and horizons. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2018; 1864:2718-2732. [PMID: 29410319 PMCID: PMC6066442 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a complex and highly variable process. Heritability of longevity among humans and other species is low, and this finding has given rise to the idea that it may be futile to search for DNA variants that modulate aging. We argue that the problem in mapping longevity genes is mainly one of low power and the genetic and environmental complexity of aging. In this review we highlight progress made in mapping genes and molecular networks associated with longevity, paying special attention to work in mice and humans. We summarize 40 years of linkage studies using murine cohorts and 15 years of studies in human populations that have exploited candidate gene and genome-wide association methods. A small but growing number of gene variants contribute to known longevity mechanisms, but a much larger set have unknown functions. We outline these and other challenges and suggest some possible solutions, including more intense collaboration between research communities that use model organisms and human cohorts. Once hundreds of gene variants have been linked to differences in longevity in mammals, it will become feasible to systematically explore gene-by-environmental interactions, dissect mechanisms with more assurance, and evaluate the roles of epistasis and epigenetics in aging. A deeper understanding of complex networks-genetic, cellular, physiological, and social-should position us well to improve healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Suheeta Roy
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Evan G Williams
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8093, Switzerland
| | - Maroun Bou Sleiman
- Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Khyobeni Mozhui
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - James F Nelson
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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Kim S, Welsh DA, Myers L, Cherry KE, Wyckoff J, Jazwinski SM. Non-coding genomic regions possessing enhancer and silencer potential are associated with healthy aging and exceptional survival. Oncotarget 2016; 6:3600-12. [PMID: 25682868 PMCID: PMC4414140 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We have completed a genome-wide linkage scan for healthy aging using data collected from a family study, followed by fine-mapping by association in a separate population, the first such attempt reported. The family cohort consisted of parents of age 90 or above and their children ranging in age from 50 to 80. As a quantitative measure of healthy aging, we used a frailty index, called FI34, based on 34 health and function variables. The linkage scan found a single significant linkage peak on chromosome 12. Using an independent cohort of unrelated nonagenarians, we carried out a fine-scale association mapping of the region suggestive of linkage and identified three sites associated with healthy aging. These healthy-aging sites (HASs) are located in intergenic regions at 12q13-14. HAS-1 has been previously associated with multiple diseases, and an enhancer was recently mapped and experimentally validated within the site. HAS-2 is a previously uncharacterized site possessing genomic features suggestive of enhancer activity. HAS-3 contains features associated with Polycomb repression. The HASs also contain variants associated with exceptional longevity, based on a separate analysis. Our results provide insight into functional genomic networks involving non-coding regulatory elements that are involved in healthy aging and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangkyu Kim
- Tulane Center for Aging and Department of Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - David A Welsh
- Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Leann Myers
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Katie E Cherry
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Jennifer Wyckoff
- Tulane Center for Aging and Department of Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - S Michal Jazwinski
- Tulane Center for Aging and Department of Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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7
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Exome and Whole Genome Sequencing in Aging and Longevity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015; 847:127-39. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2404-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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8
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Tian XL, Li Y. Endothelial cell senescence and age-related vascular diseases. J Genet Genomics 2014; 41:485-95. [PMID: 25269674 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2014.08.001] [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: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Advanced age is an independent risk factor for ageing-related complex diseases, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and hypertension, which are common but life threatening and related to the ageing-associated vascular dysfunction. On the other hand, patients with progeria syndromes suffer from serious atherosclerosis, suggesting that the impaired vascular functions may be critical to organismal ageing, or vice versa. However, it remains largely unknown how vascular cells, particularly endothelial cell, become senescent and how the senescence impairs the vascular functions and contributes to the age-related vascular diseases over time. Here, we review the recent progress on the characteristics of vascular ageing and endothelial cell senescence in vitro and in vivo, evaluate how genetic and environmental factors as well as autophagy and stem cell influence endothelial cell senescence and how the senescence contributes to the age-related vascular phenotypes, such as atherosclerosis and increased vascular stiffness, and explore the possibility whether we can delay the age-related vascular diseases through the control of vascular ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Li Tian
- Department of Human Population Genetics and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Human Population Genetics and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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9
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Distinct Patterns of Sirtuin Expression During Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Neuromolecular Med 2014; 16:405-14. [DOI: 10.1007/s12017-014-8288-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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10
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Brooks-Wilson AR. Genetics of healthy aging and longevity. Hum Genet 2013; 132:1323-38. [PMID: 23925498 PMCID: PMC3898394 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-013-1342-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Longevity and healthy aging are among the most complex phenotypes studied to date. The heritability of age at death in adulthood is approximately 25 %. Studies of exceptionally long-lived individuals show that heritability is greatest at the oldest ages. Linkage studies of exceptionally long-lived families now support a longevity locus on chromosome 3; other putative longevity loci differ between studies. Candidate gene studies have identified variants at APOE and FOXO3A associated with longevity; other genes show inconsistent results. Genome-wide association scans (GWAS) of centenarians vs. younger controls reveal only APOE as achieving genome-wide significance (GWS); however, analyses of combinations of SNPs or genes represented among associations that do not reach GWS have identified pathways and signatures that converge upon genes and biological processes related to aging. The impact of these SNPs, which may exert joint effects, may be obscured by gene-environment interactions or inter-ethnic differences. GWAS and whole genome sequencing data both show that the risk alleles defined by GWAS of common complex diseases are, perhaps surprisingly, found in long-lived individuals, who may tolerate them by means of protective genetic factors. Such protective factors may ‘buffer’ the effects of specific risk alleles. Rare alleles are also likely to contribute to healthy aging and longevity. Epigenetics is quickly emerging as a critical aspect of aging and longevity. Centenarians delay age-related methylation changes, and they can pass this methylation preservation ability on to their offspring. Non-genetic factors, particularly lifestyle, clearly affect the development of age-related diseases and affect health and lifespan in the general population. To fully understand the desirable phenotypes of healthy aging and longevity, it will be necessary to examine whole genome data from large numbers of healthy long-lived individuals to look simultaneously at both common and rare alleles, with impeccable control for population stratification and consideration of non-genetic factors such as environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Brooks-Wilson
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada,
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Beekman M, Blanché H, Perola M, Hervonen A, Bezrukov V, Sikora E, Flachsbart F, Christiansen L, De Craen AJM, Kirkwood TBL, Rea IM, Poulain M, Robine JM, Valensin S, Stazi MA, Passarino G, Deiana L, Gonos ES, Paternoster L, Sørensen TIA, Tan Q, Helmer Q, van den Akker EB, Deelen J, Martella F, Cordell HJ, Ayers KL, Vaupel JW, Törnwall O, Johnson TE, Schreiber S, Lathrop M, Skytthe A, Westendorp RGJ, Christensen K, Gampe J, Nebel A, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, Slagboom PE, Franceschi C. Genome-wide linkage analysis for human longevity: Genetics of Healthy Aging Study. Aging Cell 2013; 12:184-93. [PMID: 23286790 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clear evidence exists for heritability of human longevity, and much interest is focused on identifying genes associated with longer lives. To identify such longevity alleles, we performed the largest genome-wide linkage scan thus far reported. Linkage analyses included 2118 nonagenarian Caucasian sibling pairs that have been enrolled in 15 study centers of 11 European countries as part of the Genetics of Healthy Aging (GEHA) project. In the joint linkage analyses, we observed four regions that show linkage with longevity; chromosome 14q11.2 (LOD = 3.47), chromosome 17q12-q22 (LOD = 2.95), chromosome 19p13.3-p13.11 (LOD = 3.76), and chromosome 19q13.11-q13.32 (LOD = 3.57). To fine map these regions linked to longevity, we performed association analysis using GWAS data in a subgroup of 1228 unrelated nonagenarian and 1907 geographically matched controls. Using a fixed-effect meta-analysis approach, rs4420638 at the TOMM40/APOE/APOC1 gene locus showed significant association with longevity (P-value = 9.6 × 10(-8) ). By combined modeling of linkage and association, we showed that association of longevity with APOEε4 and APOEε2 alleles explain the linkage at 19q13.11-q13.32 with P-value = 0.02 and P-value = 1.0 × 10(-5) , respectively. In the largest linkage scan thus far performed for human familial longevity, we confirm that the APOE locus is a longevity gene and that additional longevity loci may be identified at 14q11.2, 17q12-q22, and 19p13.3-p13.11. As the latter linkage results are not explained by common variants, we suggest that rare variants play an important role in human familial longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Perola
- The National Institute for Health and Welfare; THL; Helsinki; FI-00271; Finland
| | - Anti Hervonen
- Tampere School of Public Health; Tampere; FI-33014; Finland
| | | | - Ewa Sikora
- Nencki Istitute for Experimental Biology; NENCKI; Warszawa; 02-093; Poland
| | - Friederike Flachsbart
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology; Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel (CAU); Kiel; 24118; Germany
| | - Lene Christiansen
- Danish Aging Research Center; Institute of Public Health; University of Southern Denmark; Odense; DK-5230; Denmark
| | | | - Tom B. L. Kirkwood
- Institute for Ageing and Health; Newcastle University; UNEW; Newcastle; NE1 7RU; UK
| | - Irene Maeve Rea
- Queens University of Belfast; QUB; Belfast; Northern Ireland; BT7 1NN; UK
| | | | | | - Silvana Valensin
- Interdepartmental Centre “Luigi Galvani” CIG; University of Bologna UNIBO; Bologna; 40126; Italy
| | | | | | - Luca Deiana
- UNISS; University of Sassari; 07100; Sassari; Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Quinta Helmer
- Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics; Leiden University Medical Centre; Leiden; ZC; 2333; The Netherlands
| | | | - Joris Deelen
- Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Centre; Leiden; ZC; 2333; The Netherlands
| | | | - Heather J. Cordell
- Institute for Ageing and Health; Newcastle University; UNEW; Newcastle; NE1 7RU; UK
| | - Kristin L. Ayers
- Institute for Ageing and Health; Newcastle University; UNEW; Newcastle; NE1 7RU; UK
| | - James W. Vaupel
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research; MPIDR; 18057; Rostock; Germany
| | - Outi Törnwall
- The National Institute for Health and Welfare; THL; Helsinki; FI-00271; Finland
| | - Thomas E. Johnson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder; CO 80309-0447; USA
| | - Stefan Schreiber
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology; Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel (CAU); Kiel; 24118; Germany
| | - Mark Lathrop
- Foundation Jean Dausset; CEPH; 75010; Paris; France
| | - Axel Skytthe
- Danish Aging Research Center; Institute of Public Health; University of Southern Denmark; Odense; DK-5230; Denmark
| | - Rudi G. J. Westendorp
- Gerontology and Geriatrics; Leiden University Medical Centre; Leiden; ZA; 2333; The Netherlands
| | | | - Jutta Gampe
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research; MPIDR; 18057; Rostock; Germany
| | - Almut Nebel
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology; Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel (CAU); Kiel; 24118; Germany
| | | | | | - Claudio Franceschi
- Interdepartmental Centre “Luigi Galvani” CIG; University of Bologna UNIBO; Bologna; 40126; Italy
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Abstract
Skin is a model of choice in studies on aging. Indeed, skin aging can be modulated by internal and external factors, reflecting its complexity. Two types of skin aging have been identified: intrinsic, mainly genetically determined and extrinsic—also called "photo-aging"—resulting on the impact of environmental stress and more precisely of UV rays. Simplified in vitro models, based on cellular senescence, have been developed to study the relationship between UV and aging. These models vary on the cell type (fibroblasts or keratinocytes, normal or immortalized) and the type of UV used (UVA or UVB).
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13
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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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Ferrario A, Villa F, Malovini A, Araniti F, Puca AA. The application of genetics approaches to the study of exceptional longevity in humans: potential and limitations. IMMUNITY & AGEING 2012; 9:7. [PMID: 22524405 PMCID: PMC3407776 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4933-9-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The average life-span of the population of industrialized countries has improved enormously over the last decades. Despite evidence pointing to the role of food intake in modulating life-span, exceptional longevity is still considered primarily an inheritable trait, as pointed out by the description of families with centenarian clusters and by the elevated relative probability of siblings of centenarians to become centenarians themselves. However, rather than being two separate concepts, the genetic origin of exceptional longevity and the more recently observed environment-driven increase in the average age of the population could possibly be explained by the same genetic variants and environmentally modulated mechanisms (caloric restriction, specific nutrients). In support of this hypothesis, polymorphisms selected for in the centenarian population as a consequence of demographic pressure have been found to modulate cellular signals controlled also by caloric restriction. Here, we give an overview of the recent findings in the field of the genetics of human exceptional longevity, of how some of the identified polymorphisms modulate signals also influenced by food intake and caloric restriction, of what in our view have been the limitations of the approaches used over the past years to study genetics (sib-pair-, candidate gene association-, and genome-wide association-studies), and briefly of the limitations and the potential of the new, high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques applied to exceptional longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ferrario
- IRCCS Multimedica, Via Fantoli 16/15, 20138, Milan, Italy.
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15
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Kerber RA, O'Brien E, Boucher KM, Smith KR, Cawthon RM. A genome-wide study replicates linkage of 3p22-24 to extreme longevity in humans and identifies possible additional loci. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34746. [PMID: 22506048 PMCID: PMC3323558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although there is abundant evidence that human longevity is heritable, efforts to map loci responsible for variation in human lifespan have had limited success. Methodology/Principal Findings We identified individuals from a large multigenerational population database (the Utah Population Database) who exhibited high levels of both familial longevity and individual longevity. This selection identified 325 related “affected individuals”, defined as those in the top quartile for both excess longevity (EL = observed lifespan – expected lifespan) and familial excess longevity (FEL = weighted average EL across all relatives). A whole-genome scan for genetic linkage was performed on this sample using a panel of 1100 microsatellite markers. A strongly suggestive peak (Z = 4.2, Monte Carlo-adjusted p-value 0.09) was observed in the vicinity of D3S3547 on chromosome 3p24.1, at a point nearly identical to that reported recently by an independent team of researchers from Harvard Medical School (HMS) [1]. Meta-analysis of linkage scores on 3p from the two studies produced a minimum nominal p-value of 1.005×10−9 at 55 cM. Other potentially noteworthy peaks in our data occur on 18q23-24, 8q23, and 17q21. Meta-analysis results from combined UPDB and HMS data yielded additional support, but not formal replication, for linkage on 8q, 9q, and 17q. Conclusions/Significance Corroboration of the linkage of exceptional longevity to 3p22-24 greatly strengthens the case that genes in this region affect variation in longevity and suggest, therefore, an important role in the regulation of human lifespan. Future efforts should include intensive study of the 3p22-24 region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Kerber
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America.
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Trent RJ. Development, Aging and Cancer. Mol Med 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-381451-7.00007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
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17
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Albani D, Mazzuco S, Polito L, Batelli S, Biella G, Ongaro F, Gustafson DR, Antuono P, Gajo G, Durante E, Caberlotto L, Zanardo A, Siculi M, Gallucci M, Forloni G. Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor polymorphism rs2229765 and circulating interleukin-6 level affect male longevity in a population-based prospective study (Treviso Longeva--TRELONG). Aging Male 2011; 14:257-64. [PMID: 22115178 DOI: 10.3109/13685538.2011.607521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling modulation has been associated with increased lifespan in model organisms, while high levels of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) are a marker of disability and mortality. In the prospective, population-based "Treviso Longeva"--TRELONG Study from Italy (n = 668, age range 70-105.5 years at baseline, followed for seven years) we investigated the effects of survival on the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) gene polymorphism rs2229765, the IL-6 gene promoter polymorphism rs1800795, and plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and IL-6, alone or in combination. We found a sex-dependent effect for the IGF-1R rs2229765 polymorphism, as male carriers of the homozygous A/A genotype survived longer, while the IL-6 rs1800795 genotype did not influence overall or sex-specific longevity. Higher IL-6 levels were more detrimental for survival among males than females, while IGF-1 had no dose-response effect. These findings sustain the hypothesis that sex-specific longevity relies on detectable differences in genetic and biochemical parameters between males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Albani
- Department of Neuroscience, "Mario Negri" Institute for Pharmacological Research, via La Masa, Milan, Italy.
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Ante M, Wingender E, Fuchs M. Integration of gene expression data with prior knowledge for network analysis and validation. BMC Res Notes 2011; 4:520. [PMID: 22123172 PMCID: PMC3298547 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Reconstruction of protein-protein interaction or metabolic networks based on expression data often involves in silico predictions, while on the other hand, there are unspecific networks of in vivo interactions derived from knowledge bases. We analyze networks designed to come as close as possible to data measured in vivo, both with respect to the set of nodes which were taken to be expressed in experiment as well as with respect to the interactions between them which were taken from manually curated databases Results A signaling network derived from the TRANSPATH database and a metabolic network derived from KEGG LIGAND are each filtered onto expression data from breast cancer (SAGE) considering different levels of restrictiveness in edge and vertex selection. We perform several validation steps, in particular we define pathway over-representation tests based on refined null models to recover functional modules. The prominent role of the spindle checkpoint-related pathways in breast cancer is exhibited. High-ranking key nodes cluster in functional groups retrieved from literature. Results are consistent between several functional and topological analyses and between signaling and metabolic aspects. Conclusions This construction involved as a crucial step the passage to a mammalian protein identifier format as well as to a reaction-based semantics of metabolism. This yielded good connectivity but also led to the need to perform benchmark tests to exclude loss of essential information. Such validation, albeit tedious due to limitations of existing methods, turned out to be informative, and in particular provided biological insights as well as information on the degrees of coherence of the networks despite fragmentation of experimental data. Key node analysis exploited the networks for potentially interesting proteins in view of drug target prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ante
- Department of Bioinformatics, Medical School, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Goldschmidtstr, 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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19
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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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