Universal DNA methylation age across mammalian tissues

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Aging Research

Background:

• Aging is complex, influenced by cellular damage and epigenetic changes.
• DNA methylation profiles form the basis of epigenetic clocks for age estimation.
• Existing clocks are often species-specific.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop universal pan-mammalian epigenetic clocks for accurate age prediction across species.
• To investigate the evolutionary conservation of aging processes in mammals.
• To identify age-related methylation sites and their associated genes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 11,754 methylation arrays from the Mammalian Methylation Consortium.
• Encompassed 59 tissue types from 185 mammalian species.
• Developed predictive models for mammalian tissue age estimation.

Main Results:

• Achieved high accuracy (r > 0.96) in estimating mammalian tissue age.
• Identified correlations between age deviations and human mortality risk, mouse mutations, and caloric restriction.
• Discovered conserved age-related cytosine methylation sites near genes involved in development, cancer, obesity, and longevity.

Conclusions:

• Aging is an evolutionarily conserved process across all mammals.
• Epigenetic clocks can accurately estimate age in diverse mammalian tissues.
• Conserved aging mechanisms are intertwined with fundamental developmental processes.