Gene expression profiles in the Leiden Longevity Study

Biomarkers of familial longevity may represent mechanisms underlying healthy aging. To identify gene expression profiles marking human familial longevity, an explorative genome-wide expression study was performed among 50 families from the Leiden Longevity Study who have a life-long survival advantage of 30%. Gene expression profiles were compared between 50 nonagenarians (mean age 93.4 years) and 50 controls (mean age 61.9 years) to investigate differential gene expression that may arise as a function of both chronological age and familial longevity. Differential expression was observed for 2953 probes (FDR≤0.05) and for 109 GO terms, which corresponded well with previously reported findings on gene expression changes associated with chronological age, such as ‘immune response’, ‘signal transduction’ and ‘regulation of gene transcription’. To explore which of the 2953 chronological age-related probes also marked familial longevity, we compared gene expression profiles of 50 offspring of the nonagenarians (mean age 60.8 years) with the same 50 controls. Since the average gene expression levels did not differ between offspring and controls, we tested for differential expression as a function of age (age range 43-79 years). We identified 360 probes (FDR≤0.1) and the ‘Rho protein signal transduction’ GO biological process (FWER = 0.079) whose expression signatures marked familial longevity already at middle-age. Of these probes, 236 were annotated and represent 244 known genes, including WRN and MYC. Interestingly, 51 genes are involved in the regulation of gene expression. Further investigation into the genes involved may be important for unraveling mechanisms underlying longevity. From the Leiden Longevity Study 50 long-lived siblings, 50 of their offspring and 50 partners thereof were analysed in this study. From one individual per group two technical replicates were included in the measurement, but left out in the analysis.