Molecular Parasites Stimulate Aging; Scientists Warn About ‘Transposons’ and the Danger It May Bring to Human Health

As researchers are learning more about the so-called "mobile genetic elements," they have discovered growing evidence that transposons affect, not to mention even stimulating, aging in humans.

According to a Medical Xpress report, one who has seen a petunia flower that has "artfully variegated petals has already seen as well how transposons are working.

This flower's attractive color patterns are brought by transposable elements or DNA sequences that can move places within a genome. But when it comes to the effects of transposons on humans, the researchers said, outcomes might not be as pleasing.

As earlier mentioned, scientists have discovered growing proof that transposons, as described by the National Library of Medicine, are influencing and even promoting aging and age-related diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders.

According to biology professor John Sedivy, who's also the director of the Center on the Biology of Aging at Brown, if transposons are uncontrolled, and there are lots of examples of that, they can have intense consequences on most life forms in this field know of.

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The Transposon Movement

In an interview, Sedivy, the corresponding author of this new study, The role of retrotransposable elements in ageing and age-associated diseases, published in Nature, said there are two main groups, specifically the DNA transposons that move through a DNA intermediate in a mechanism called "cut and paste;" and the retrotransposons move that uses a "copy and pasted" involving an RNA intermediate.

The corresponding author also said, 35 percent of the human genome is composed of retrotransposon DNA sequences. They are moving for survival because it enables them to transfer to and augment their existence in their hosts.

Sedivy cited transposons as viruses. There are certain viruses that are actually transposable elements. He added human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a perfect example since it's using the retrotransposition mechanism to have itself inserted into the genome and then allows the host cell to do the duplication of it.

Meaning, unless all the cells HIV has infected have been destroyed, one cannot get rid of it. That's what retrotransposons are doing, as well.

They stay in the genome, which includes the germline, so that both sperm and eggs carry these genetic elements, then pass them along to generations later on.

Transposons' Contribution to the Aging Process

When it comes to the contribution of transposons to the aging process, Sedivy explained, it is essential to realize that "aging is not an active process." While it might appear that one is programmed to deteriorate, aging is actually a succeeding order of failures.

According to a similar Brown University report, cellular processes and mechanisms turn more susceptible to errors over time. For instance, cancer is an illness of aging as, at some point, a deadly error is committed, which then spread and results in disease.

As biologists conducting studies on aging, the researchers applied the "error and failure" theory to retrotransposable elements. As a result, they discovered that that's precisely what was occurring.

It's now generally appreciated that over a lifecycle, such elements turn more active in somatic tissues. There then, is very good evidence that this is occurring.

There are several surveillance mechanisms that the cells are using to keep such elements under control and subdue their activity. Multiple layers of activity defense are essential to keep the retrotransposons under wraps.

Lastly, it seems that aging cells are losing some of their capabilities of controlling the retrotransposons' activity. Such defense mechanisms are not working anymore, as well.

Related information about the transposon cycle is shown on Oxford Academic's YouTube video below: