TET2 Overexpression Enhances Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function in Old Mice

Heterochronic parabiosis is the process of linking the circulatory systems of an old and young animal. It improves measures of aging in the older individual, and worsens measures of aging in the younger individual. Researchers use this technique to try to pinpoint the important signaling and other cell behavior changes that take place with advancing age. This isn't just a matter of looking at signals in the bloodstream, however. Researchers can analyze any of the changing gene expression patterns and biochemical relationships inside cells, as they respond to the altered environment. That is the case in the open access paper I'll point out here; a research team experimenting with heterochronic parabiosis found that it increased expression of ten eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2) is emerging as a potential epigenetic regulator of aging. Human genetic studies identified an increased frequency of somatic TET2 mutations with age that are associated with elevated risk for aging-associated disorders, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Notwithstanding, the involvement of Tet2 in mediating the aging process in the adult brain has yet to be investigated.

Here we demonstrate that Tet2 offsets age-related neurogenic decline and enhances cognition in the hippocampus of adult mice. We detect an age-dependent decrease in the levels of Tet2 in the aging hippocampus coincident with decreased adult neurogenesis. Mimicking an age-related loss of T...

Source: Fight Aging! - February 23, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs