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Quantitative Analysis of Climbing Defects in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegenerative Disorders

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Published on: June 13, 2015

Transposable element landscapes in aging Drosophila.

Nachen Yang¹, Satyam P Srivastav¹, Reazur Rahman²

¹Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

|March 3, 2022

Summary

Aging reduces genetic silencing of transposable elements (TEs), but genomic TE copies may not increase. Small RNA and RNA interference pathways appear to mitigate TE expansion during aging in Drosophila.

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Area of Science:

Genetics
Molecular Biology
Aging Research

Background:

Genetic mechanisms suppressing transposable elements (TEs) weaken with age.
Increased TE expression is observed in aged animals, raising questions about genomic copy number changes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether increased TE expression during aging leads to more genomic TE copies.
To explore the role of small RNA and RNA interference (RNAi) pathways in mitigating TE expansion.
To identify potential interventions to suppress age-associated TE expression and extend lifespan.

Main Methods:

Quantified TE Landscapes (TLs) using whole genome sequencing in young and aged Drosophila.
Analyzed TLs in whole flies and dissected brains.
Developed improved sequencing methods for extra-chromosomal DNA circles (eccDNAs).

Main Results:

TE Landscapes were quantified in young and aged Drosophila, including wild-type and mutant strains.
The study validated methods for detecting new TE insertions in aging genomes, particularly when RNAi pathways are compromised.
Improved methods for quantifying eccDNAs revealed them as an additional source of aging-associated TE copies.

Conclusions:

Small RNA and RNAi pathways may mitigate genomic TE expansion despite increased TE transcription during aging.
Knocking down PAF1, a transcription elongation factor, may enhance TE suppression and extend lifespan in aging Drosophila.
Genetic background can influence TE dynamics during aging.