Transcriptome-Wide piRNA Profiling in Human Brains for Aging Genetic Factors
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2019
Description
OBJECTIVE: Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) represent a molecular feature shared by all nonaging biological systems, including the germline and somatic cancer stem cells, which display an indefinite renewal capacity and lifespan-stable genomic integrity and are potentially immortal. Here, we tested the hypothesis that piRNA is a critical genetic determinant of aging in humans. METHODS: Expression of transcriptome-wide piRNAs (n=24k) was profiled in the human prefrontal cortex of 12 subjects (84.9±9.5, range 68-100, years of age) using microarray technology. We examined the correlation between these piRNAs' expression levels and age, adjusting for covariates including disease status. RESULTS: A total of 9,453 piRNAs were detected in brain. Including seven intergenic and three intronic piRNAs, ten piRNAs were significantly associated with age after correction for multiple testing (|r|=0.9; 1.9×10≤p≤9.9×10). CONCLUSION: We conclude that piRNAs might play a potential role in determining the years of survival of humans. The underlying mechanisms might involve the suppression of transposable elements (TEs) and expression regulation of aging-associated genes.
Citation Information
Mao, Qiao; Fan, Longhua; Wang, Xiaoping; Lin, Xiandong; Cao, Yuping; Zheng, Chengchou; Zhang, Yong; Zhang, Huihao; Garcia-Milian, Rolando; Kang, Longli; Shi, Jing; Yu, Ting; Wang, Kesheng; Zuo, Lingjun; Li, Chiang-Shan R.; Guo, Xiaoyun; and Luo, Xingguang, "Transcriptome-Wide piRNA Profiling in Human Brains for Aging Genetic Factors" (2019). ETSU Faculty Works. 59.
https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works-2/59