DNA methylation rates scale with maximum lifespan across mammals
Samuel Crofts, Eric Latorre‐Crespo, Tamir Chandra
Abstract
DNA methylation rates have previously been found to broadly correlate with maximum lifespan in mammals, yet no precise relationship has been observed. We developed a statistically robust framework to compare methylation rates at conserved age-related sites across mammals. We found that methylation rates negatively scale with maximum lifespan in both blood and skin. The emergence of explicit scaling suggests that methylation rates are, or are linked to, an evolutionary constraint on maximum lifespan acting across diverse mammalian lineages.
Topics & Concepts
DNA methylationScale (ratio)BiologyMethylationGeneticsDNAEvolutionary biologyComputational biologyGeneGeographyGene expressionCartographyEpigenetics and DNA MethylationBirth, Development, and HealthGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms