Age-related telomere attrition causes aberrant gene expression in sub-telomeric regions

Telomere attrition has been proposed as a biomarker and causal factor in aging. In addition to causing cellular senescence and apoptosis, telomere shortening has been found to affect gene expression in subtelomeric regions. Here, we analyzed the distribution of age-related differentially expressed genes from the GTEx RNA sequencing database of 54 tissue types from 979 human subjects and found significantly more upregulated than downregulated genes in subtelomeric regions as compared to the genome-wide average. Our data demonstrate spatial relationships between telomeres and gene expression in aging.

Automated summary

Telomere attrition has been identified as a biomarker and cause of aging, affecting gene expression in subtelomeric regions. Analysis of gene expression data from the GTEx RNA sequencing database reveals spatial relationships between telomeres and gene expression in aging, with more upregulated genes than downregulated genes in subtelomeric regions.