Epigenetic changes during aging and their reprogramming potential

AE Kane, DA Sinclair - Critical reviews in biochemistry and …, 2019 - Taylor & Francis
Critical reviews in biochemistry and molecular biology, 2019Taylor & Francis
The aging process results in significant epigenetic changes at all levels of chromatin and
DNA organization. These include reduced global heterochromatin, nucleosome remodeling
and loss, changes in histone marks, global DNA hypomethylation with CpG island
hypermethylation, and the relocalization of chromatin modifying factors. Exactly how and
why these changes occur is not fully understood, but evidence that these epigenetic
changes affect longevity and may cause aging, is growing. Excitingly, new studies show that …
Abstract
The aging process results in significant epigenetic changes at all levels of chromatin and DNA organization. These include reduced global heterochromatin, nucleosome remodeling and loss, changes in histone marks, global DNA hypomethylation with CpG island hypermethylation, and the relocalization of chromatin modifying factors. Exactly how and why these changes occur is not fully understood, but evidence that these epigenetic changes affect longevity and may cause aging, is growing. Excitingly, new studies show that age-related epigenetic changes can be reversed with interventions such as cyclic expression of the Yamanaka reprogramming factors. This review presents a summary of epigenetic changes that occur in aging, highlights studies indicating that epigenetic changes may contribute to the aging process and outlines the current state of research into interventions to reprogram age-related epigenetic changes.
Taylor & Francis Online