title: A genetic program theory of aging using an RNA population model.
abstract: Aging is a common characteristic of multicellular eukaryotes. Copious hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of aging, but no single theory is generally acceptable. In this article, we refine the RNA population gene activating model (Lv et al., 2003) based on existing reports as well as on our own latest findings. We propose the RNA population model as a genetic theory of aging. The new model can also be applied to differentiation and tumorigenesis and could explain the biological significance of non-coding DNA, RNA, and repetitive sequence DNA. We provide evidence from the literature as well as from our own findings for the roles of repetitive sequences in gene activation. In addition, we predict several phenomena related to aging and differentiation based on this model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China; Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Tangshan, 21 North Jianshe Road, Tangshan 063000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China; Department of Immunology, Hebei North University, 11 Zuan Shi Nan Road, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei Province, China. Electronic address: zhanjun_lv@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhanjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012307:Risk Factors; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D012313:RNA
keywords: Aging; Aging model; Differentiation; Non-coding DNA and RNA; Repetitive sequences; Tumorigenesis