Reconfiguration of DNA methylation in ageing

Publication date: Available online 20 February 2015 Source:Mechanisms of Ageing and Development Author(s): Michele Zampieri , Fabio Ciccarone , Roberta Calabrese , Claudio Franceschi , Alexander Bürkle , Paola Caiafa A complex interplay between multiple biological effects shapes the ageing process. The advent of genome-wide quantitative approaches in the epigenetic field has highlighted the effective impact of epigenetic deregulation, particularly of DNA methylation, on ageing. Age-associated alterations in DNA methylation are commonly grouped in the phenomenon known as “epigenetic drift” which is characterized by gradual extensive demethylation of genome and hypermethylation of a number of promoter-associated CpG islands. Surprisingly, specific DNA regions show directional epigenetic changes in aged individuals suggesting the importance of these events for the ageing process. However, the epigenetic information obtained until now in ageing needs a re-consideration due to the recent discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, a new DNA epigenetic mark present on genome. A recapitulation of the factors involved in the regulation of DNA methylation and the changes occurring in ageing will be described in this review also considering the data available on 5hmC in ageing.

Source: Mechanisms of Ageing and Development - February 20, 2015 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research