Multi-omic analysis of canine aging uncovers conserved aging pathways

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Comparative Biology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Aging is a complex biological process with molecular alterations.
• Dog aging research is crucial as they serve as models for human aging.
• Molecular changes during canine aging are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile gene expression and protein abundance in dogs across different life stages.
• To identify molecular signatures associated with canine aging.
• To compare canine aging signatures with human age-associated genes.

Main Methods:

• Gene expression profiling of 16,273 genes in whole blood from 40 laboratory beagles.
• Protein abundance analysis of 2041 proteins in blood plasma from the same cohort.
• Comparison of young (3-5 years), old (8-9 years), and geriatric (10-14 years) beagles.

Main Results:

• Identified 816 age-associated genes and 40 age-associated proteins.
• Aging signatures converged on pathways for DNA repair, collagen processing, and inflammation.
• Canine aging signatures showed overlap with human age-associated genes and hallmarks of aging.

Conclusions:

• Aging in dogs involves conserved molecular mechanisms shared with humans.
• Canine aging signatures provide insights into fundamental aging processes.
• Dogs represent a valuable model for studying conserved aging mechanisms.