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Researchers Reveal Novel Aging Markers and Regulators

2021-05-11

Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and Peking University researchers have found lncRNAs as novel aging markers and regulators. Aging associated lncRNAs carry the signature of evolutionary constraint and participate the NFκB signaling.    

Aging is an inevitable process in organism, and causes human tissue and organ degeneration and increases the risk of mortality and diseases. Compared to a century ago, humans are now enjoying greatly improved life quality, medical resources and much more extended lifespan expectancy. However, longer lifespan also increases the risk of chronic disease, reduce perception, motor and cognitive function in old age.    

The CAS and Peking University research team led by Prof. Jing-Dong Jackie HAN analyzed aging associated transcriptome data of 11 species through bioinformatics methods and found that aging associated lncRNAs have strong evolutionary conservation and are enriched in functional features documented in various databases. From transcription factor binding enrichment and functional prediction, they found that aging associated lncRNAs are predominantly related to NFkB signaling. By using CRISPR screening, they found 13 of them modulate the reporter of NFkB signaling, and named them NFkB modulating aging-related lncRNAs (NFKBMARL). They further studied the molecular mechanisms by which NFKBMARL-1 regulates NFkB signaling.   

Researchers found that NFKBMARL-1 binds to the enhancer of its neighboring gene NFKBIZ, a known NFkB mediator and effector, and recruits RELA to the promoter of NFKBIZ within same topological associated domain to amplify NFkB signaling. Inhibiting NFKBMARL-1 inhibits the NFkB signaling and suppresses the expression of aging-related inflammatory factors.   

On May 6, 2021, the research results of “Aging-associated lncRNAs are evolutionarily conserved and participate in NFkB signaling” were published online in the journal Nature Aging by Prof. Jing-Dong Jackie HAN’s research group of Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University.   

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Ministry of Science and Technology and Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project. 

 

Media Contact: 
WANG Jin (Ms.) 
Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Email: sibssc@sibs.ac.cn
Web: http://english.sinh.cas.cn/