[Aging and interrelation of telomeres with transposable elements.]

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Aging Research

Background:

• Telomere dysfunction and length changes during organismal aging reflect broader genomic alterations.
• These genomic changes are driven by the regulatory impact of transposable elements activated sequentially during development (ontogenesis).
• Key genomic structures like centromeres, telomeres, introns, and regulatory elements have evolutionary origins in transposable elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the dynamic relationship between transposable elements and structural-functional genomic elements during individual development.
• To investigate the species-specific sets of transposable elements and tandem repeats influencing epigenetic regulation of ontogenesis.
• To identify promising research avenues for regulating lifespan by targeting centromeres and telomeres.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the evolutionary origins of genomic structures from transposable elements.
• Studying the dynamic changes in genome structure-function relationships during ontogenesis.
• Investigating the potential of ribozymes and peptides to interact with specific DNA sequences, particularly tandem repeats in centromeres and telomeres.

Main Results:

• Transposable elements sequentially activated during ontogenesis drive global genomic changes reflected in telomere length and function.
• Species-specific transposable elements and associated tandem repeats dictate epigenetic regulation of development.
• Tandem repeats in centromeres and telomeres are key sites for potential lifespan regulation strategies.

Conclusions:

• The interplay between transposable elements and genomic structures like telomeres and centromeres is crucial for aging processes.
• Targeting these interactions, particularly through peptides and microRNAs (miRNA), holds significant geroprotective potential.
• Understanding transposon-telomere-centromere relationships can lead to novel strategies for modulating lifespan and healthspan.