title: Reconfiguration of DNA methylation in aging.
abstract: A complex interplay between multiple biological effects shapes the aging process. The advent of genome-wide quantitative approaches in the epigenetic field has highlighted the effective impact of epigenetic deregulation, particularly of DNA methylation, on aging. Age-associated alterations in DNA methylation are commonly grouped in the phenomenon known as "epigenetic drift" which is characterized by gradual extensive demethylation of genome and hypermethylation of a number of promoter-associated CpG islands. Surprisingly, specific DNA regions show directional epigenetic changes in aged individuals suggesting the importance of these events for the aging process. However, the epigenetic information obtained until now in aging needs a re-consideration due to the recent discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, a new DNA epigenetic mark present on genome. A recapitulation of the factors involved in the regulation of DNA methylation and the changes occurring in aging will be described in this review also considering the data available on 5 hmC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy; Pasteur Institute-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome 00161, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zampieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy; Pasteur Institute-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome 00161, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciccarone
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy; Pasteur Institute-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome 00161, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Toxicology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz D-78457, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bürkle
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy; Pasteur Institute-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome 00161, Italy. Electronic address: caiafa@bce.uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caiafa
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
keywords: 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine; 5-Methylcytosine; Aging; DNA methylation; Epigenetic reprogramming