RNA-Seq of Nothobranchius furzeri brain of male and female with an age of 39-108 days post hatch (dph).

A vast body of studies is available that describes age-dependent gene expression in relationship to aging in a number of different model species. These data were obtained from animals kept in conditions with reduced environmental challenges, abundant food and deprivation of natural sensory stimulation. Here we compared wild- and captive-aging in the short-lived turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). These fish inhabit temporary ponds in the African savannah and when the ponds are flooded eggs hatch synchronously enabling a precise timing of the population age. We collected brains for wild fish of different ages and quantified the global age-dependent regulation of transcripts using RNAseq. A major difference between captive and wild population is that wild population reach larger sizes and cease their growth rapidly, enabling the analysis of age-dependent gene expression without the confounding effect of adult brain growth.We found that the majority of differentially-expressed genes show the same direction of regulation in wild- and captive-population. However, a number of genes were regulated in opposite direction. Genes down-regulated in the wild and up-regulated in captivity were enriched for terms related to neuronal communication. Genes up-regulated in the wild and down-regulated in captive conditions were up-regulated in terms related to DNA replication. Finally, the rate of age-dependent gene regulation was higher in the wild animals suggesting a phenomenon of accelerated aging. 24 samples: 39 dph (4 male + 4 female), 73 dph (4 male + 4 female), 108 dph (4 male + 4 female)