What might retrotransposons teach us about aging?
Open accessAbstract
Retrotransposons are activated as organisms age, based on work from several model systems. Since these mobile DNA elements can promote genome instability, this has raised the possibility that they can contribute to loss of cellular function with age. Many questions remain to be addressed about the relationship between retrotransposons and aging, so it is unclear if changes in their activity will be found to contribute to aging or to be a consequence of aging. A few broad perspectives are presented regarding how continued work on these elements could provide important insights into the aging process, regardless of whether their mobility is ultimately found to significantly contribute to reduced lifespan and healthspan.
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Transposable elements make up approximately 50% of the human genome and contribute significantly to genetic variation at the population level.
“TEs make up approximately 50% of the human genome and contribute significantly to genetic variation at the population level (Maxwell, 2016).”
From Cytoplasmic DNA: sources, sensing, and role in aging and disease (2021) · cites this paper as Maxwell, 2016
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- Authors
- Maxwell, P. H.
- Affiliations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Maxwell, Patrick H.
- Venue
- Current Genetics
- Published
- 2015-11-18
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 277-282
- ISSN
- 0172-8083 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-0983
- PMC
- PMC5120397
- OpenAlex
- W2174377540
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 0.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R00AG031911)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Keywords
- retrotransposons, aging, mobile DNA elements, genomic instability, cellular senescence, lifespan, healthspan, transposon activation
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Humans, Retroelements
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