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Updated: May 19, 2026
09:10
Measuring Single-Cell Aging with an Imaging-based Biomarker of Chromatin and Epigenetic Aging
Published on: January 30, 2026
Genotype×age interaction in human transcriptional ageing
Jack W Kent1, Harald H H Göring, Jac C Charlesworth
1Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78245, USA. jkent@txbiomedgenetics.org
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
|August 9, 2012
Summary
Genetic variations influence biological aging rates. Researchers identified thousands of genes and specific interactions between gene variants and age, revealing new mechanisms for differential aging and cancer risk.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Aging Research
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Individual differences in biological aging are influenced by genetic factors.
- The origins of heritable variations in age-related gene expression are not well understood.
- Understanding these variations is crucial for comprehending differential aging processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify human autosomal transcripts correlated with age.
- To discover transcripts exhibiting genotype by age interaction.
- To investigate the role of specific genes, like UBQLNL, in aging and disease risk.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 1240 individuals in large families.
- Statistical analysis to identify age-correlated transcripts and genotype by age interactions.
- Application of a novel SNP genotype × age interaction test to the UBQLNL gene.
Main Results:
- 4472 autosomal transcripts (~4349 genes) were significantly correlated with age.
- 623 transcripts showed significant genotype by age interaction.
- UBQLNL demonstrated cis- and trans-genotype by age interactions, with expression and genotype linked to longitudinal cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors significantly contribute to age-related gene expression variability.
- Novel candidate genes, including UBQLNL, are implicated in the mechanisms of differential biological aging.
- UBQLNL genotype and expression are associated with cancer risk, highlighting its potential role in aging-related diseases.
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