Molecular biology of ageing

Abstract

The process of deterioration or ageing of functions that occurs in all organisms after the attainment of reproductive ability is the sum total of the decline in activity of various organs. The functions of different organs begin to deteriorate at different times of the life span and at different rates. It is believed that different genes are involved in the ageing of different organs. Studies on isoenzyme patterns of enzymes show that the genes responsible for coding of different subunits of the enzymes are sequentially expressed during the life span. Also, the decrease in the levels of enzymes seen after adulthood is reversible and can be raised to adult level by inducing their genes by steroid hormones. Another factor that contributes to the decrease in the levels of enzymes is increasing compaction of the chromatin that houses the genes as seen from digestion of chromatin by DNase I and MNase. This decreases the rate of transcription of genes. The expression of many genes declines after adulthood which is due to the decrease in trans-acting nuclear proteins that bind to specific cis-acting sequences in the promoter regions of genes. These proteins are inducible by steroid hormones. Hence the deterioration of functions that occurs after adulthood can be delayed, and the adulthood period can be prolonged by manipulation of the expression of genes.