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Epigenetic Epidemiology pp 185–196Cite as

Age-Related Variation in DNA Methylation

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Abstract

Methylation is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring modification of DNA in mammalian cells that mediates stable repression of gene expression in epigenetically regulated genes, and plays diverse other roles such as regulation of chromosome structure and silencing of endogenous retrotransposons. DNA methylation patterns are generally stable in the short term but show prominent changes in aging cells and tissues including gains of methylation at previously protected promoter regions and losses of methylation genome wide. These age-related methylation changes remain mechanistically mysterious but are conserved from mouse to man, and are likely caused by infidelity in replication of the epigenome over time. Because of the link between DNA methylation and gene expression, these changes result in a mosaic epigenome in aged cells that could underlie diseases of aging such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Maintaining the health of the epigenome is worth investigating as a strategy to prevent age-related diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fels Institute for Cancer and Molecular Biology, Temple University, 3307 North Broad Street, Rm 154 – PAHB, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA

    Jean-Pierre Issa

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  1. Jean-Pierre Issa
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Correspondence to Jean-Pierre Issa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology D, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Longwood Avenue 221, Boston, 02115, Massachusetts, USA

    Karin B. Michels

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Issa, JP. (2012). Age-Related Variation in DNA Methylation. In: Michels, K. (eds) Epigenetic Epidemiology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2495-2_11

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