Transcriptomic signatures of the aging brain at bulk-tissue resolution

Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases that impose tremendous burdens on people and societies today. To understand trajectories of neurological aging in a primate, we generated one of the most comprehensive brain transcriptional datasets to date in a unique population of naturalistic, behaviorally phenotyped rhesus macaques. We demonstrate that age-related changes in the level and variance of gene expression are associated with neural functions and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, we demonstrate that higher social status in females is associated with younger relative transcriptional ages, providing a compelling link between the social environment and aging in the brain. Our findings lend insight into biological mechanisms underlying brain aging and indicate promising directions for improving social gradients in neurological health. 527 bulk tissue transcriptomes derived from a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques. The datataset includes 15 distinct brain regions sampled from 36 males and females spanning the natural adult rhesus macaque age distribution.