Perhaps you have heard something about epigenetics in biology class, or you have seen the Netflix series about the twin experiment. Be that as it may – the term epigenetics has gained quite a bit of traction in recent years, even outside the scientific community. It seems that the old dogma that everything is in the genes no longer holds true.
Rather, research around epigenetics shows that we can influence some processes through our behavior, our diet, or through exercise. In this article, we will show you what epigenetics is, how epigenetics contributes to aging research, and what our grandparents have to do with it.
What is Epigenetics?
Before we dive into the topic, we need to clarify the definition: Epigenetics studies how changes beyond the genetic code affect – a concept expressed in the word part "epi", from Ancient Greek meaning "over" or "upon". The focus here is not on mutations in the strict sense, but rather on modifications that determine how active certain genes are in our cells.
A classic example of such modifications is DNA Methylation. In this process, a methyl group (CH3) is attached to specific sections of the DNA. This can result in certain cellular processes being inhibited, for example, by stopping the production of proteins. Epigenetics is z.B.responsible for the fact that a muscle cell differs from a kidney cell, even though both contain the exact same DNA sequence.
Epigenetics – a little simpler
If you haven't just studied biochemistry, terms like Methylations, chromatin, or non-coding RNA might not really mean anything to you. Don't worry, we will explain epigenetics in a more illustrative way and try to make the more complicated mechanisms behind it understandable with this analogy:
First of all, we need to take a closer look at the cells . Each of our cells has the same strand of DNA, our genetic material. This contains all the information,z.B.how a heart muscle cell is structured, which proteins it contains, or which enzymes a stomach cell must contain in order to produce stomach acid, and many more. If all this information were to be "read" at the same time, there would be a huge chaos. For this reason, our DNA is full of chemical structures that can switch sections "on" or "off" like the switches of a volume control. How "loud" are your genes? Imagine that each gene on your DNA has such a volume control. With the help of this volume control, your epigenetics can set certain areas to "loud," making the gene active, or set other areas to "quiet," which makes this gene inactive. This fine-tuning is done through methylations.These small hydrocarbon groups determine how "loud" or how "quiet" certain sections of DNA in our genetic material are.
Another possibility is the so-called histone modifications. Histones are structural proteins around which DNA is wrapped, much like a curling roller. These proteins are also influenced by epigenetics. When they are modified, entire sections of DNA can be more difficult to unwind and thus read. Large parts remain "silent" (inactive).
How is epigenetics influenced?
These epigenetic changes are influenced by various factors such as environment, diet, stress, and lifestyle. Some of these "volume settings" can even be passed on to future generations, which means that the experiences and conditions of your ancestors could influence your life, specifically regarding which genes in your body are more or less accessible. Epigenetics ensures that despite unchanging genetic information, the accessibility and utilization of this information can be dynamic and adaptable.
This explains how identical DNA in different cell types can lead to such diverse functions and characteristics. It also explains why identical twins, who have exactly the same DNA, exhibit different traits. The exact settings of your "volume controls" are individual and can change continuously. This is referred to as the epigenetic pattern.You can make use of this when you want to measure the epigenetic or biological age. DNA and Epigenetics – what is inherited? Each individual cell consists of 46 chromosomes. Here, the genetic information is stored in the form of DNA. The chromosomes are arranged in pairs, so we have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. We receive 50 percent of the chromosomes from our mother and the other 50 percent from our biological father. Factor V Leiden: One of the most common genetic disorders Imagine that one of your genes on a specific topic (in this case Factor V) is defective. This defective gene comes from your father, but fortunately, your mother has passed on a whole copy to you.You have two genes on the subject, but one of them is defective. In medicine, this is referred to as a heterozygous expression.
This specific expression, one defective gene for factor V and one healthy, is one of the most common "genetic diseases" in Europe. About one in 20 has a defective gene for factor V, which leads to a higher risk of thrombosis. If both genes are defective, one would refer to a homozygous expression .
DNA and epigenetics – what is inherited?
The example with the defective factor V gene is typical of an inherited disease.Epigenetics does not play a role in this case, as the underlying information regarding the gene is defective. For a long time, it was believed that we only inherit the genes from our parents and acquire epigenetics (that is, the volume settings) later. Current research shows that this is not correct. Do we also inherit some presets of the volume controls from our parents? Can trauma be inherited? The eye color from the mother, the hair from the father, and the psychological trauma from the grandparents? Although this statement is quite bold, there is increasing evidence that we not only inherit the DNA from our parents but also epigenetic patterns and imprints – and this across multiple generations.
To stay with our analogy: In the past, it was assumed that the settings of the volume controls were not inheritable. The differences in DNA methylation would only be acquired later in life. This assumption seems to be incorrect. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute were able to show in this study on fruit flies that epigenetic patterns can be passed down from generation to generation.
The suspicion is close, that this is also the case in humans and perhaps new therapies can be developed from these findings in the future.
Can obesity be inherited?
After we have already seen that certain epigenetic patterns can be inherited over several generations in fruit flies, the question arises as to what effects this may have. On one hand, it is suspected that traumatic experiences can cause epigenetic changes that are also inherited and manifest in later generations. An interesting contribution can be found, for example, in this ZDF Terra-Xplore documentary.
Another question is, whether overweight parents pass on their epigenetic patterns to their children, making them more susceptible to obesity. Here, too, direct evidence is still lacking, but there are indeed indications that this is possible. In a study on rats, for example,It has been found that exposure to a pesticide (DDT = dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) led to a 50 percent incidence of overweight in subsequent generations. This shows that environmental factors have the power to change epigenetic patterns and furthermore promote overweight in subsequent generations. There is also evidence in humans that susceptibility to overweight is partially hereditary. Do you know your biological age? The Molecular Profile Test has the answer. Epigenetics and biological age Each of us has our own unique epigenetic patterns, yet we also have similarities.One of the first to recognize this is Steve Horvath. He has dealt with the question of how to measure biological age, using epigenetics. The researcher developed the Horvath Clock, which allows for very accurate measurement of the biological age of cells.
Throughout our lives, typical markings accumulate on our DNA. These sites are characteristic and the same for every person. Based on this, the first epigenetic age test was developed.
The key to longevity?
The discovery of the Horvath Clock was groundbreaking. For the first time, it was possible to measure the impact of various parameters on our cell health and age.Together with the Hallmarks of Aging, the foundation for epigenetic aging research has been established. If we manage to reverse the epigenetic markers, we may be able to slow down or even stop aging. Researchers like Harvard professor David Sinclair or American millionaire Bryan Johnson are already a step ahead and have tested some molecules for age reduction (partly on themselves). Both exhibit a significantly younger biological age, and new studies on the topic are published almost daily. In one study, the biological age of humans was impressively reduced by 8 years.
The secret? In the study, the participants took alpha-ketoglutarate, a molecule from energy metabolism, . If you want to learn more about it, you can find the background in our article about alpha-ketoglutarate . Further exciting research is being conducted in the field of NAD-metabolism . The sirtuins, nicknamed “longevity genes”, are also a central topic.
The combination with calcium ensures better AKG bioavailability in the organism.
Proteomics – the next step?
DNA, epigenetics, longevity genes – aging research is quite complex. Somewhere in this intricate network of metabolic pathways lies the explanation for diseases or aging itself. To add another layer, we would like to introduce you to proteomics, because without this field of research, our picture will not be complete.
To bring you closer to proteomics , we need to introduce a new analogy. The cell as a wardrobe. While epigenetics determines which genes are active and which are inactive with its volume controls, proteomics looks at the result.What proteins (clothing items) are in your cell (wardrobe)?
We can see what happens to the proteins after their translation and how they interact with each other. You can find more about this in our article on proteomics.
