Abstract
The stability of DNA methylation during aging was assessed in two groups of young (5–20 years old) and old (85–95 years old) women in DNA from blood leukocytes. Three X-linked genes were investigated. Two,G6PD andGdX, are located on Xq28, on the inactivated portion of the X chromosome: demethylation of specific regions of both genes was shown previously to be directly correlated with gene reactivation. The third,MIC2, is located on the pseudoautosomal region of the X chromosome and escapes X inactivation. The 5′ region of theG6PD andGdX genes and the body of theG6PD, GDX, andMIC2 genes were analyzed with specific DNA probes. No age-related changes in methylation pattern were detected. We can conclude therefore that the methylation pattern of the three X-linked genes is stable during aging in female leukocytes and that a high rate of age-related reactivation of X-linked genes may not be a feature of all X-linked loci.
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Pagani, F., Toniolo, D. & Vergani, C. Stability of DNA methylation of X-chromosome genes during aging. Somat Cell Mol Genet 16, 79–84 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01650482
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01650482