Changes in human sirtuin 6 gene promoter methylation during aging

Aging is a natural process during which changes at the cellular level increase death risk by developing susceptibility to a variety of diseases. Sirtuins have been shown to regulate lifespan in various organisms by deacetylating a number of important transcription factors. Of the 7 identified mammalian sirtuins (SIRT1-7), SIRT6 depletion is associated with severe symptoms of premature aging. In this study, we investigated the association between human longevity and SIRT6 promoter methylation. Genomic DNA from blood samples of 55 individuals (34 females and 21 males) was examined to detect methylation levels by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis following bisulfite treatment. While the results indicated 43.21% methylation in the 9-19 age group, this ratio was found to be increased up to 65.63% in the 20-79 age group and decreased to 52.15% in the 80-95 age group. Our results demonstrated that the SIRT6 gene is more active between 9-19 and 80-95 years compared to 20-79 years.