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Lu Y, Wan J, Yang Z, Lei X, Niu Q, Jiang L, Passtoors WM, Zang A, Fraering PC, Wu F. Regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the AXL receptor kinase generates an intracellular domain that localizes in the nucleus of cancer cells. FASEB J 2016; 31:1382-1397. [PMID: 28034848 PMCID: PMC5349800 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201600702r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) has recently been demonstrated to predominately promote survival and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Intramembrane proteolysis mediated by presenilin/γ-secretase is known to regulate the homeostasis of some RTKs. In the present study, we demonstrate that AXL, but not TYRO3 or MERTK, is efficiently and sequentially cleaved by α- and γ-secretases in various types of cancer cell lines. Proteolytic processing of AXL redirected signaling toward a secretase-mediated pathway, away from the classic, well-known, ligand-dependent canonical RTK signaling pathway. The AXL intracellular domain cleavage product, but not full-length AXL, was further shown to translocate into the nucleus via a nuclear localization sequence that harbored a basic HRRKK motif. Of interest, we found that the γ-secretase-uncleavable AXL mutant caused an elevated chemoresistance in non-small-cell lung cancer cells. Altogether, our findings suggest that AXL can undergo sequential processing mediated by various proteases kept in a homeostatic balance. This newly discovered post-translational processing of AXL may provide an explanation for the diverse functions of AXL, especially in the context of drug resistance in cancer cells.-Lu, Y., Wan, J., Yang, Z., Lei, X., Niu, Q., Jiang, L., Passtoors, W. M., Zang, A., Fraering, P. C., Wu, F. Regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the AXL receptor kinase generates an intracellular domain that localizes in the nucleus of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinzhong Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Wan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiling Lei
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Niu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lanxin Jiang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Willemijn M Passtoors
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiping Zang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Patrick C Fraering
- Brain Mind Institute-School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Foundation Eclosion, Plan-Les-Ouates, Switzerland.,Campus Biotech Innovation Park, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China;
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Passtoors WM, van den Akker EB, Deelen J, Maier AB, van der Breggen R, Jansen R, Trompet S, van Heemst D, Derhovanessian E, Pawelec G, van Ommen GJB, Slagboom PE, Beekman M. IL7R gene expression network associates with human healthy ageing. Immun Ageing 2015; 12:21. [PMID: 26566388 PMCID: PMC4642670 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-015-0048-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Background The level of expression of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) gene in blood has recently been found to be associated with familial longevity and healthy ageing. IL7R is crucial for T cell development and important for immune competence. To further investigate the IL7R pathway in ageing, we identified the closest interacting genes to construct an IL7R gene network that consisted of IL7R and six interacting genes: IL2RG, IL7, TSLP, CRLF2, JAK1 and JAK3. This network was explored for association with chronological age, familial longevity and immune-related diseases (type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rheumatoid arthritis) in 87 nonagenarians, 337 of their middle-aged offspring and 321 middle-aged controls from the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS). Results We observed that expression levels within the IL7R gene network were significantly different between the nonagenarians and middle-aged controls (P = 4.6 × 10−4), being driven by significantly lower levels of expression in the elderly of IL7, IL2RG and IL7R. After adjustment for multiple testing and white blood cell composition and in comparison with similarly aged controls, middle-aged offspring of nonagenarian siblings exhibit a lower expression level of IL7R only (P = 0.006). Higher IL7R gene expression in the combined group of middle-aged offspring and controls is associated with a higher prevalence of immune-related disease (P = 0.001). On the one hand, our results indicate that lower IL7R expression levels, as exhibited by the members of long-lived families that can be considered as ‘healthy agers’, are beneficial in middle age. This is augmented by the observation that higher IL7R gene expression associates with immune-related disease. On the other hand, IL7R gene expression in blood is lower in older individuals, indicating that low IL7R gene expression might associate with reduced health. Interestingly, this contradictory result is supported by the observation that a higher IL7R gene expression level is associated with better prospective survival, both in the nonagenarians (Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63, P = 0.037) and the middle-aged individuals (HR = 0.33, P = 1.9 × 10–4). Conclusions Overall, we conclude that the IL7R network reflected by gene expression levels in blood may be involved in the rate of ageing and health status of elderly individuals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12979-015-0048-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn M Passtoors
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik B van den Akker
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; The Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Joris Deelen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea B Maier
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rick Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stella Trompet
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Diana van Heemst
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Graham Pawelec
- Center for Medical Research, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gert-Jan B van Ommen
- Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; The Netherlands Center for Medical Systems Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P Eline Slagboom
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Beekman
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Zone S5-P, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands ; Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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van den Akker EB, Passtoors WM, Jansen R, van Zwet EW, Goeman JJ, Hulsman M, Emilsson V, Perola M, Willemsen G, Penninx BW, Heijmans BT, Maier AB, Boomsma DI, Kok JN, Slagboom PE, Reinders MJ, Beekman M. Meta-analysis on blood transcriptomic studies identifies consistently coexpressed protein-protein interaction modules as robust markers of human aging. Aging Cell 2014; 13:216-25. [PMID: 24119000 PMCID: PMC4331790 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The bodily decline that occurs with advancing age strongly impacts on the prospects for future health and life expectancy. Despite the profound role of age in disease etiology, knowledge about the molecular mechanisms driving the process of aging in humans is limited. Here, we used an integrative network-based approach for combining multiple large-scale expression studies in blood (2539 individuals) with protein–protein Interaction (PPI) data for the detection of consistently coexpressed PPI modules that may reflect key processes that change throughout the course of normative aging. Module detection followed by a meta-analysis on chronological age identified fifteen consistently coexpressed PPI modules associated with chronological age, including a highly significant module (P = 3.5 × 10−38) enriched for ‘T-cell activation’ marking age-associated shifts in lymphocyte blood cell counts (R2 = 0.603; P = 1.9 × 10−10). Adjusting the analysis in the compendium for the ‘T-cell activation’ module showed five consistently coexpressed PPI modules that robustly associated with chronological age and included modules enriched for ‘Translational elongation’, ‘Cytolysis’ and ‘DNA metabolic process’. In an independent study of 3535 individuals, four of five modules consistently associated with chronological age, underpinning the robustness of the approach. We found three of five modules to be significantly enriched with aging-related genes, as defined by the GenAge database, and association with prospective survival at high ages for one of the modules including ASF1A. The hereby-detected age-associated and consistently coexpressed PPI modules therefore may provide a molecular basis for future research into mechanisms underlying human aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik B. van den Akker
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
- The Delft Bioinformatics Lab; Delft University of Technology; PO Box 5031 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn M. Passtoors
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Rick Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry; VU University Medical Center; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; A.J. Ernststraat 1187 1081 HL Amsterdam The Netherlands
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Erik W. van Zwet
- Department of Medical Statistics; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Jelle J. Goeman
- Department of Medical Statistics; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Marc Hulsman
- The Delft Bioinformatics Lab; Delft University of Technology; PO Box 5031 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands
| | - Valur Emilsson
- Icelandic Heart Association; Holtasmari 1 IS-201 Kópavogur Iceland
| | - Markus Perola
- National Institute for Health and Welfare; PO Box 30 00271 Helsinki Finland
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology; VU University; Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Brenda W.J.H. Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry; VU University Medical Center; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; VU University Medical Center; A.J. Ernststraat 1187 1081 HL Amsterdam The Netherlands
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Bas T. Heijmans
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Andrea B. Maier
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Department of Internal Medicine; VU University Medical Center; De Boelelaan 1117 1007 MB Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam; Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Biological Psychology; VU University; Van der Boechorststraat 7 1081 BT Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Joost N. Kok
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
- Department of Algorithms; Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science; University of Leiden; Niels Bohrweg 1 2333 CA Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Pieternella E. Slagboom
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Marcel J.T. Reinders
- The Delft Bioinformatics Lab; Delft University of Technology; PO Box 5031 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands
| | - Marian Beekman
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing; Leiden University Medical Center; PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
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Passtoors WM, Beekman M, Deelen J, van der Breggen R, Maier AB, Guigas B, Derhovanessian E, van Heemst D, de Craen AJM, Gunn DA, Pawelec G, Slagboom PE. Gene expression analysis of mTOR pathway: association with human longevity. Aging Cell 2013; 12:24-31. [PMID: 23061800 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
mTOR signalling is implicated in the development of disease and in lifespan extension in model organisms. This pathway has been associated with human diseases such as diabetes and cancer, but has not been investigated for its impact on longevity per se. Here, we investigated whether transcriptional variation within the mTOR pathway is associated with human longevity using whole-blood samples from the Leiden Longevity Study. This is a unique cohort of Dutch families with extended survival across generations, decreased morbidity and beneficial metabolic profiles in middle-age. By comparing mRNA levels of nonagenarians and middle-aged controls, the mTOR signalling gene set was found to associate with old age (P = 4.6 × 10(-7)). Single gene analysis showed that seven of 40 mTOR pathway genes had a significant differential expression of at least 5%. Of these, the RPTOR (Raptor) gene was found to be differentially expressed also when the offspring of nonagenarians was compared with their spouses, indicating association with familial longevity in middle-age. This association was not explained by variation between the groups in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and cancer or glucose levels. Thus, the mTOR pathway not only plays a role in the regulation of disease and aging in animal models, but also in human health and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn M. Passtoors
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | - Andrea B. Maier
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | - Bruno Guigas
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | | | - Diana van Heemst
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | - Anton J. M. de Craen
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden; The Netherlands
| | - David A. Gunn
- Unilever Discover; Colworth, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire; UK
| | - Graham Pawelec
- Center for Medical Research; University of Tübingen; Tübingen; Germany
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Passtoors WM, Beekman M, Gunn D, Boer JM, Heijmans BT, Westendorp RGJ, Zwaan BJ, Slagboom PE. Genomic studies in ageing research: the need to integrate genetic and gene expression approaches. J Intern Med 2008; 263:153-66. [PMID: 18226093 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01904.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide and hypothesis-based approaches to the study of ageing and longevity have been dominated by genetic investigations. To identify essential mechanisms of a complex trait such as ageing in higher species, a holistic understanding of interacting pathways is required. More information on such interactions is expected to be obtained from global gene expression analysis if combined with genetic studies. Genetic sequence variation often provides a functional gene marker for the trait, whereas a gene expression profile may provide a quantitative biomarker representing complex cellular pathway interactions contributing to the trait. Thus far, gene expression studies have associated multiple pathways to ageing including mitochondrial electron transport and the oxidative stress response. However, most of the studies are underpowered to detect small age-changes. A systematic survey of gene expression changes as a function of age in human individuals and animal models is lacking. Well designed gene expression studies, especially at the level of biological processes, will provide hypotheses on gene-environmental interactions determining biological ageing rate. Cross-sectional studies monitoring the profile as a chronological marker of ageing must be integrated with prospective studies indicating which profiles represent biomarkers preceding and predicting physiological decline and mortality. New study designs such as the Leiden Longevity Study, including two generations of subjects from longevity families, aim to achieve these combined approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Passtoors
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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