Maybe you have heard about the epigenetics or you've seen the Netflix series about the twin experiment. Whatever the case, the term epigenetics has gained a lot of traction outside the scientific community in recent years. It seems as if the old dogma that everything is in the genes no longer applies.
Rather, research into 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 get into the topic, we need to clarify the definition: Epigenetics studies how changes beyond the genetic code affect - a concept that is expressed in the word part "epi", from the ancient Greek for "over" or "upon". The focus here is not on mutations in the true sense, but rather on modifications that determine how active certain genes are in our cells.
A classic example of such modifications is DNA methylation. A methyl group (CH3) is attached to specific sections of the DNA. This can result in certain cellular processes being prevented, for example by stopping the production of proteins. Epigenetics is e.g. responsible for the fact that a muscle cell differs from a kidney cell, although both contain the exact same DNA sequence.
Epigenetics – a little simpler
Unless you have studied biochemistry, you will be familiar with terms such as Methylations, chromatin or non-coding RNA don't really say anything. Don't worry, we'll explain epigenetics to you in a more vivid way and try to use this analogy to make the more complicated mechanisms behind it understandable:
First of all, we need to take a closer look at the cells look. Each of our cells has the same strand of DNA, our genetic material. This contains all the information, e.g. how a heart muscle cell is constructed, which proteins it contains or which enzymes a stomach cell must contain in order to produce stomach acid and much more. If all this information were to be “read” at the same time, there would be huge chaos. For this reason, our DNA is full of chemical structures that look like the switches of a volume control can switch sections “on” or “off”.
How “loud” are your genes?
Imagine that every gene on your DNA has such a volume control. Using this volume control, your epigenetics can turn certain areas “loud” so that the gene is active, or turn other areas “quiet,” making that gene inactive. This fine adjustment is made by methylations These small hydrocarbon groups determine how “loud” or “quiet” certain sections of the DNA in our genome are.
Another possibility is the so-called histone modifications.Histones are structural proteins around which DNA is wound, similar to hair curlers. These proteins are also influenced by epigenetics. If they are modified, entire sections of DNA can be unwound and thus read with more difficulty. Large parts therefore remain “silent” (inactive).
How is epigenetics influenced?
These epigenetic changes are caused 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 and which genes in your body are more or less accessible. Epigenetics therefore ensures that, despite unchanging genetic information, the accessibility and use of this information can be made dynamic and adaptable.
This explains how identical DNA in different cell types can lead to such diverse functions and characteristics. This also explains why identical twins, who have exactly the same DNA, have different characteristics. The exact settings of your "volume controls" are individual and can change constantly. This is what is known as an epigenetic pattern. You can make use of this if you study the epigenetic or biological age wants to measure.
DNA and epigenetics – what is inherited?
Each individual cell consists of 46 chromosomes. This is where 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 diseases
Imagine one of your genes on a particular topic (in this case Factor V), is defective. This defective gene comes from your father, but fortunately your mother has passed on a complete copy to you. So you have two genes related to the topic, but one of them is defective. In medicine, this is referred to as a heterozygous expression.
This specific form, one defective gene for factor V and one healthy one, is one of the most common “genetic diseases” in Europe. About one in 20 people has a defective gene for factor V, which leads to a higher risk of thrombosis. If both genes are defective, one would say homozygous expression speak.
DNA and epigenetics – what is inherited?
The example with the defective factor V gene is a typical one for a hereditary diseaseg. Epigenetics plays no role in this case, since the underlying information regarding the gene is defectiveFor a long time, it was believed that we only inherit genes from our parents and acquire epigenetics (i.e. volume control) later. According to current research, this is not correct. So do we also inherit some volume control presets from our parents?
Can trauma be inherited?
The eye color of the mother, the hair of the father and the psychological trauma of the grandparents? Although this statement is quite bold, there is more and more evidence that we not only inherit DNA from our parents, but also epigenetic patterns and imprints – and this across several generations.
To stay with our analogy: It was previously assumed that the settings of the volume control were not hereditary. The differences in DNA methylation were only acquired later in life. This assumption does not seem to be correct. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute were able to study in fruit flies show that epigenetic patterns can be passed on from generation to generation.
It is reasonable to assume that this is also the case with humans and perhaps these findings can be used to develop new therapies in the future.
Can obesity be inherited?
Now that we have seen that certain epigenetic patterns can be inherited over several generations in fruit flies, the question arises as to what effects this can have. On the one hand, it is suspected that traumatic experiences can cause epigenetic changes that are also inherited and show up in later generations. You can find an interesting article in this ZDF Terra-Xplore documentary.
Another question is, whether overweight parents pass on their epigenetic patterns to their children and thus make them more susceptible to obesityHere, too, direct evidence is still lacking, but there are indications that this is possible. In rats, for example, it was found that the exposure to a pesticide (DDT = dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) in subsequent generations to a 50 percent incidence of obesity.
This shows that environmental factors have the power to change epigenetic patterns and also promote obesity in subsequent generations. There is also evidence in humans that the susceptibility to obesity is partly hereditary.
Do you know your biological age? The epiAge test has the answer.
Epigenetics and Biological Age
Each of us has our own unique epigenetic patterns, but we also have similarities. One of the first people to recognize this is Steve Horvath. He has been working on the question of how to measure biological age, using the epigeneticsThe researcher developed the Horvath Clock, which can be used to measure the biological age of cells very accurately.
Over the course of our lives, typical markings accumulate on our DNA. The locations are characteristic and the same for every person.On this basis, 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 influence of various parameters on our cell health and age. Together with the Hallmarks of Aging The foundation for epigenetic aging research was laid. If we can reverse the epigenetic markers, we may be able to slow down or even stop aging.
Researchers like the Harvard professor David Sinclair or the American millionaire Bryan Johnson have already gone a step further and have tried out some age-reducing molecules (some of them on themselves). Both have a significantly younger biological age, and new studies on the subject are published almost daily. In one study on humans, the biological age can be reduced by an impressive 8 years.
The secret? In the study, the subjects Alpha-ketoglutarate, a molecule from energy metabolism, If you want to know more about it, you can read the background in our article about alpha-ketoglutarate Further exciting research is being carried out in the area of NAD-Metabolism operated. The sirtuins, nickname "longevity genes“ are a central theme.
The combination with calcium ensures better AKG bioavailability in the organism.
Proteomics – the next step?
DNA, epigenetics, longevity genes – research into aging is quite complex. Somewhere in this intricate network of metabolic pathways the explanation for diseases or aging itself will be hidden. To add another layer, we would like to introduce proteomics, because without this field of research our picture will not be complete.
To give you the proteomics closer, we need to introduce a new analogy. The cell as a wardrobe. While epigenetics uses its volume controls to determine which genes are active and which are inactive, proteomics looks at the result. Which proteins (items of clothing) are in your cell (wardrobe)?
We can see what happens to the proteins after they are translated and how they interact with each other. You can find out more about this in our article on the proteomics.
