Cited by 68Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsChromosomal and Genetic VariationsTelomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence

A LINE-1 component to human aging: Do LINE elements exact a longevity cost for evolutionary advantage?

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St. Laurent, Georges, Hammell, Neil, McCaffrey, Timothy A.·2010·Mechanisms of Ageing and Development

Abstract

Advancing age remains the largest risk factor for devastating diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The mechanisms by which advancing age predisposes to disease are now beginning to unfold, due in part, to genetic and environmental manipulations of longevity in lower organisms. Converging lines of evidence suggest that DNA damage may be a final common pathway linking several proposed mechanisms of aging. The present review forwards a theory for an additional aging pathway that involves modes of inherent genetic instability. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) are endogenous non-LTR retrotransposons that compose about 20% of the human genome. The LINE-1 (L1) gene products, ORF1p and ORF2p, possess mRNA binding, endonuclease, and reverse transcriptase activity that enable retrotransposition. While principally active only during embryogenesis, L1 transcripts are detected in adult somatic cells under certain conditions. The present hypothesis proposes that L1s act as an 'endogenous clock', slowly eroding genomic integrity by competing with the organism's double-strand break repair mechanism. Thus, while L1s are an accepted mechanism of genetic variation fueling evolution, it is proposed that longevity is negatively impacted by somatic L1 activity. The theory predicts testable hypotheses about the relationship between L1 activity, DNA repair, healthy aging, and longevity.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.mad.2010.03.008

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Bratthauer GL Cardiff RD Fanning TG 1994 Expression of LINE-1 retrotransposons in human breast cancer Cancer 73 2333 6 8168038
  2. Neidhart M Rethage J Kuchen S Kunzler P Crowl RM Billingham ME Gay RE Gay S 2000 Retrotransposable L1 elements expressed in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue: association with genomic DNA hypomethylation and influence on gene expression Arthritis Rheum 43 2634 47 11145021

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Authors
St. Laurent, G., Hammell, N., & McCaffrey, T. A.
Affiliations
George Washington University (US)
Corresponding author
McCaffrey, Timothy A.
Venue
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-05
Volume
131
Issue
5
Pages
299-305
ISSN
0047-6374 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1981252886
Cited by
68
References
98
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 2
FWCI
0.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Mechanisms of Ageing and Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R37AG012712)
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
LINE-1 retrotransposons, human aging, longevity, somatic retrotransposition, DNA damage, DNA double-strand break repair, genomic instability, endogenous retrotransposons, ORF1p, ORF2p, healthy aging, age-related diseases
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, DNA Damage, DNA Repair, Biological Evolution, Humans, Longevity, Genetic Predisposition to Disease

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