Structural and functional changes of fibrinogen due to aging

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Gerontology
• Hematology

Background:

• Coagulation is vital for hemostasis, influenced by various factors.
• Fibrinogen is a primary coagulation factor.
• Understanding aging's impact on fibrinogen is crucial for healthy longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of aging on fibrinogen structure and function.
• To analyze age-related changes in fibrinogen glycosylation and its consequences.

Main Methods:

• Fibrinogen isolation from plasma of healthy individuals aged 21-83.
• Lectin microarray analysis to assess glycosylation patterns.
• Spectrofluorimetric analysis for structural insights.
• Functional assays to evaluate clotting properties.

Main Results:

• Aging significantly increased fibrinogen glycosylation, particularly high-mannose/hybrid N-glycans and complex N-glycans with increased galactose and N-acetylglucosamine.
• Fibrinogen structure became more densely packed with age, but advanced glycation end products did not increase.
• Fibrinogen from older individuals showed reduced clotting time, correlating positively with age.
• No significant age-related differences were observed in clotting speed, clot density, fiber diameter, or porosity.

Conclusions:

• Glycosylation changes in fibrinogen during healthy aging affect its structure and function, notably altering clotting time.
• These findings contribute to understanding protein dynamics in healthy aging and longevity mechanisms.