Genes age at different rates
Researchers from the Virginia Institute of Bioinformatics, working under the guidance of Professor Harold Garner, have found that spontaneous mutations constantly occur in human DNA, but the rate of their accumulation varies significantly from person to person.
The DNA of our cells changes under the influence of various environmental factors. This can lead to mutations in 13,000 genes associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, kidney failure, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer's disease – diseases usually associated with old age.
The authors used the latest sequencing technologies to study the DNA of skin fibroblasts of three people at different stages of their lives. DNA samples of one participant were collected at the ages of 17 and 30, the second – at the ages of 29 and 45, the third – at 42, 51 and 57 years.
Processing of the obtained data showed that the number of variations in the genome of one of the participants was almost 10 times higher than the number of variations in the genomes of the other two. At the same time, he was at increased risk of developing more diseases.
Moreover, it turned out that the rate of accumulation of mutations not only increases with age, but also varies both from person to person and within the same genome. So, certain regions of the genome age 100 times faster than other regions of DNA. One of the most rapidly changing components of the genome is the so-called microsatellite DNA, previously considered "junk" and associated with various diseases. This fact indicates the need for a detailed study of this dynamic component of the genome.
The data obtained will allow researchers to understand the mechanisms of DNA protection from environmental influences, as well as the reasons why some people age faster than others. They also point to the need to revise the approaches of the rapidly developing direction of personalized medicine in recent years, using genomic information to predict risks and treat various diseases. Apparently, in order to obtain adequate information about the state of health of the human genome, regular genome analysis is necessary.
Article by Jasmin H. Bavarva et al. The Dynamic Exome: acquired variants as individuals age is published in the journal Aging.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Virginia Tech:
Aging contributes to rapid rates of genomic change, signaling challenges for personalized medicine.
01.07.2014