An analysis of aging-related genes derived from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx)

Aging is a complex biological process that is far from being completely understood. Analyzing transcriptional differences across age might help uncover genetic bases of aging. In this study, 1573 differentially expressed genes, related to chronological age, from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, were categorized as upregulated age-associated genes (UAGs) and downregulated age-associated genes (DAGs). Characteristics in evolution, expression, function and molecular networks were comprehensively described and compared for UAGs, DAGs and other genes. Analyses revealed that UAGs are more clustered, more quickly evolving, more tissue specific and have accumulated more single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and disease genes than DAGs. DAGs were found with a lower evolutionary rate, higher expression level, greater homologous gene number, smaller phyletic age and earlier expression in body development. UAGs are more likely to be located in the extracellular region and to occur in both immune-relevant processes and cancer-related pathways. By contrast, DAGs are more likely to be located intracellularly and to be enriched in catabolic and metabolic processes. Moreover, DAGs are also critical in a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, whereas UAGs have more influence on a signaling network. This study highlights characteristics of the aging transcriptional landscape in a healthy population, which may benefit future studies on the aging process and provide a broader horizon for age-dependent precision medicine.