Epigenetic Hypothesis of the Role of Peptides in Aging

Abstract: In addition to transcription factors, epigenetic factors, which control the release of genetic information in each cell division, play an important role in the regulation of gene expression in the ontogenesis of multicellular eukaryotes. Many binding sites for transcription factors were derived from transposon sequences. Mobile elements are also important sources of noncoding RNA. Thus, transposons have an indirect effect on gene expression and genome methylation. In evolution transposons serve as important sources for the origin of new protein and proteins domains. A number of studies have determined that long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs can be translated into functional peptides. At the same time, transposons are expressed in embryogenesis and remain active in the stem cells of adult humans, which is consistent with the transcription of noncoding RNAs. The study of these processes may be the key to the determination of aging mechanisms due to the role of mobile elements as sources of noncoding RNAs translated into functional peptides. © 2018, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.