Study Links Faster Molecular Aging in Large Dogs to Jumping Gene Activity
A research article released on October 8 in Science indicates that larger dog breeds experience molecular aging at a quicker pace than their smaller counterparts, which may account for their reduced lifespans. The study examined DNA from 894 dogs, utilizing information from the Dog Aging Project, initiated in 2014 and encompassing around 55,000 dogs. The researchers concentrated on methyl groups and created a molecular clock with a median error of less than one year. Results demonstrate that larger dogs undergo age-related changes more swiftly, with males aging more rapidly than females. This accelerated aging is associated with 'jumping genes' that interfere with gene function. Co-author Noah Snyder-Mackler posits that selective breeding for rapid growth may have contributed to shorter lifespans in large dogs. While the study does not confirm causation, it aims to encourage additional investigation.
Key facts
- A study published October 8 in Science found that large dogs' cells age faster due to changes allowing jumping genes to move around their genomes.
- Researchers analyzed DNA from 894 pet dogs of diverse breeds and sizes using data from the Dog Aging Project, founded in 2014 with about 55,000 enrolled dogs.
- They developed a molecular clock based on DNA methylation that predicts a dog's age with a median error of less than one year.
- Larger dogs and male dogs tend to accumulate aging-related epigenetic changes more quickly than small dogs and female dogs, respectively.
- The accelerated aging in large dogs is linked to the loss of methyl groups that normally suppress jumping genes, or transposable elements.
- Co-author Noah Snyder-Mackler suggests human breeding for rapid growth may have inadvertently shortened large dogs' lifespans.
- In male dogs, epigenetic changes on the X sex chromosome might drive faster molecular aging, as females have an extra copy that may help stave off such changes.
- The study does not establish whether DNA methylation patterns cause aging, and researchers hope it leads to further investigations.
Entities
Artists
- Borbála Turcsán
- Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Brianah McCoy
- Trey Ideker
- Sarah Kuta
- Heidi Ledford
- Marta Serafinko
- R.J. Mackenzie
Institutions
- Science
- Dog Aging Project
- Eötvös Loránd University
- Nature
- Arizona State University
- Reuters
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Live Science
- University of Oxford
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Hungary
- Arizona
- United States
- North Carolina
- England
- United Kingdom
- Longmont
- Colorado