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Age-Related Alternative Splicing: Driver or Passenger in the Aging Process?
Marco Baralle1, Maurizio Romano2
1International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
Cells
|December 22, 2023
Summary
Alternative splicing changes are linked to aging, potentially driving age-related decline and disease. Further research is needed to confirm if splicing alterations are causes or effects of aging.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Aging Research
- Genetics
Background:
- Alternative splicing patterns change with organismal aging.
- These alterations affect gene isoform levels and functions, potentially contributing to aging processes.
- Splicing factor expression also fluctuates during aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of alternative splicing in aging.
- To investigate whether splicing changes are drivers or consequences of aging.
- To understand the implications for aging biology and potential therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of age-related changes in splicing patterns, including intron retention, cassette exons, and cryptic exons.
- Examination of alterations in protein domains and nonsense-mediated decay.
- Investigation of somatic mutations in splicing genes.
Main Results:
- Alternative splicing events modify protein isoforms and functions during aging.
- These modifications can potentially drive aging or serve as biomarkers.
- Somatic mutations in splicing genes are linked to aging and age-related diseases.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between splicing and aging is complex, with challenges in establishing causation.
- Understanding how aging impacts RNA splicing machinery is crucial.
- Splicing represents a promising area for aging research and therapeutic development to increase healthy lifespan.
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