Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Studying Age-dependent Genomic Instability using the S. cerevisiae Chronological Lifespan Model
Published on: September 29, 2011
Comprehensive longitudinal study of epigenetic mutations in aging
Yunzhang Wang1, Robert Karlsson1, Juulia Jylhävä1
1Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
Epigenetic mutations increase with age, driven by stochastic or environmental factors, not genetics. This study tracked these changes in older individuals, linking them to aging and cancer.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Genomics
- Aging Research
Background:
- DNA methylation's role in aging is known, but epigenetic mutations (aberrant methylation) are less understood.
- This study defines epigenetic mutations as methylation levels deviating from population norms.
- Investigated the longitudinal accumulation of epigenetic mutations in older individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal accumulation of epigenetic mutations.
- To identify factors contributing to epigenetic mutation accumulation.
- To understand the relationship between epigenetic mutations, aging, and cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 994 blood samples from 375 individuals over multiple time points.
- Classified epigenetic mutations into High/Low Methylation Outliers (HMO/LMO).
- Validated specific frequently mutated CpG sites using pyrosequencing and twin studies.
Main Results:
- Confirmed epigenetic mutations increase with age.
- Identified sex, B cells, genetic background, cancer, and technical artifacts as contributing factors.
- Demonstrated age-related epigenetic mutations are stochastic or environmentally driven, not genetic.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive study of epigenetic mutation dynamics in aging.
- Highlighted the significant role of epigenetic mutations in aging and cancer development.
More Related Videos
11:08Combining Magnetic Sorting of Mother Cells and Fluctuation Tests to Analyze Genome Instability During Mitotic Cell Aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Published on: October 16, 2014
14:09Genetic Studies of Human DNA Repair Proteins Using Yeast as a Model System
Published on: March 18, 2010
Related Concept Videos
Longitudinal Research
Telomeres and Telomerase
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation
Replication in Eukaryotes
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
Longitudinal Studies