Statistics on familial longevity in different regions of the USSR

The genealogical method was used to study family longevity among 416 individuals at the age of 80-121 and older in the Ukrainian SSR, Abkhazian ASSR and Azerbaijan SSR. The rate of family longevity and total index of family longevity increase with the age of individuals examined. These indices are higher in most cases in men than in women.     

Longevity Relatives Count score identifies heritable longevity carriers and suggests case improvement in genetic studies

Loci associated with longevity are likely to harbor genes coding for key players of molecular pathways involved in a lifelong decreased mortality and decreased/compressed morbidity. However, identifying such loci is challenging. One of the most plausible reasons is the uncertainty in defining long‐lived cases with the heritable longevity trait among long‐living phenocopies. To avoid phenocopies, family selection scores have been constructed, but these have not yet been adopted as state of the art in longevity research. Here, we aim to identify individuals with the heritable longevity trait by using current insights and a novel family score based on these insights. We use a unique dataset connecting living study participants to their deceased ancestors covering 37,825 persons from 1,326 five‐generational families, living between 1788 and 2019. Our main finding suggests that longevity is transmitted for at least two subsequent generations only when at least 20% of all relatives are long‐lived. This proves the importance of family data to avoid phenocopies in genetic studies.     

Identification of fecal microbiome signatures associated with familial longevity and candidate metabolites for healthy aging

Gut microbiota associated with longevity plays an important role in the adaptation to damaging stimuli accumulated during the aging process. The mechanism by which the longevity-associated microbiota protects the senescent host remains unclear, while the metabolites of the gut bacteria are of particular interest. Here, an integrated analysis of untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize the metabolite and microbiota profiles of long-lived individuals (aged ≥90 years) in comparison to old-elderly (aged 75–89 years), young-elderly (aged 60–74 years), and young to middle-aged (aged ≤59 years) individuals. This novel study constructed both metabolite and microbiota trajectories across aging in populations from Jiaoling county (the seventh longevity town of the world) in China. We found that the long-lived group exhibited remarkably differential metabolomic signatures, highlighting the existence of metabolic heterogeneity with aging. Importantly, we also discovered that long-lived individuals from the familial longevity cohort harbored a microbiome distinguished from that of the general population. Specifically, we identified that the levels of a candidate metabolite, pinane thromboxane A2 (PTA2), which is positively associated with aging, were consistently higher in individuals with familial longevity and their younger descendants than in those of the general population. Furtherly, functional analysis revealed that PTA2 potentiated the efficiency of microglial phagocytosis of β-amyloid 40 and enhanced an anti-inflammatory phenotype, indicating a protective role of PTA2 toward host health. Collectively, our results improve the understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in longevity and may facilitate the development of strategies for healthy aging.     

Genes, Demography, and Life Span: The Contribution of Demographic Data in Genetic Studies on Aging and Longevity

In population studies on aging, the data on genetic markers are often collected for individuals from different age groups. The purpose of such studies is to identify, by comparison of the frequencies of selected genotypes, "longevity" or "frailty" genes in the oldest and in younger groups of individuals. To address questions about more-complicated aspects of genetic influence on longevity, additional information must be used. In this article, we show that the use of demographic information, together with data on genetic markers, allows us to calculate hazard rates, relative risks, and survival functions for respective genes or genotypes. New methods of combining genetic and demographic information are discussed. These methods are tested on simulated data and then are applied to the analysis of data on genetic markers for two haplogroups of human mtDNA. The approaches suggested in this article provide a powerful tool for analyzing the influence of candidate genes on longevity and survival. We also show how factors such as changes in the initial frequencies of candidate genes in subsequent cohorts, or secular trends in cohort mortality, may influence the results of an analysis.     

Comprehensive microRNA profiling in B-cells of human centenarians by massively parallel sequencing

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and play a critical role in development, homeostasis, and disease. Despite their demonstrated roles in age-associated pathologies, little is known about the role of miRNAs in human aging and longevity. RESULTS: We employed massively parallel sequencing technology to identify miRNAs expressed in B-cells from Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians, i.e., those living to a hundred and a human model of exceptional longevity, and younger controls without a family history of longevity. With data from 26.7 million reads comprising 9.4x108 bp from 3 centenarian and 3 control individuals, we discovered a total of 276 known miRNAs and 8 unknown miRNAs ranging several orders of magnitude in expression levels, a typical characteristics of saturated miRNA-sequencing. A total of 22 miRNAs were found to be significantly upregulated, with only 2 miRNAs downregulated, in centenarians as compared to controls. Gene Ontology analysis of the predicted and validated targets of the 24 differentially expressed miRNAs indicated enrichment of functional pathways involved in cell metabolism, cell cycle, cell signaling, and cell differentiation. A cross sectional expression analysis of the differentially expressed miRNAs in B-cells from Ashkenazi Jewish individuals between the 50th and 100th years of age indicated that expression levels of miR-363* declined significantly with age. Centenarians, however, maintained the youthful expression level. This result suggests that miR-363* may be a candidate longevity-associated miRNA. CONCLUSION: Our comprehensive miRNA data provide a resource for further studies to identify genetic pathways associated with aging and longevity in humans.     

Differences in survivability among F344 rats.

Important parameters to identify and develop appropriate animal models for longevity science include survivability, age-related disorders, and easy handling of aged individuals. It is found that F334/Du and F344/N have distinctive strain difference in these parameters. The finding suggests F334/Du and F344/N, even though they are historically siblings, need clearly separate identification when used as animal models for aging science, in particular, longevity science.     

Homocysteine and familial longevity: the Leiden Longevity Study

Homocysteine concentrations are a read-out of methionine metabolism and have been related to changes in lifespan in animal models. In humans, high homocysteine concentrations are an important predictor of age related disease. We aimed to explore the association of homocysteine with familial longevity by testing whether homocysteine is lower in individuals that are genetically enriched for longevity. We measured concentrations of total homocysteine in 1907 subjects from the Leiden Longevity Study consisting of 1309 offspring of nonagenarian siblings, who are enriched with familial factors promoting longevity, and 598 partners thereof as population controls. We found that homocysteine was related to age, creatinine, folate, vitamin B levels and medical history of hypertension and stroke in both groups (all p<0.001). However, levels of homocysteine did not differ between offspring enriched for longevity and their partners, and no differences in the age-related rise in homocysteine levels were found between groups (p for interaction 0.63). The results suggest that homocysteine metabolism is not likely to predict familial longevity.     

Notes on age determination,size and age structure,longevity and growth of co-occurring macrourid fishes

Nineteen species of the deep-water fish family Macrouridae inhabit the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) of the North Atlantic. Size and age structure, longevity and length at age were explored for seven of the more abundant species: Coryphaenoides armatus, Coryphaenoides brevibarbis, Coryphaenoides carapinus, Coryphaenoides guentheri, Coryphaenoides mediterraneus, Coryphaenoides rupestris and Macrourus berglax. The otoliths from these species had growth increments resembling those accepted as annuli in other deep-water species for which validation experiments have been conducted. Based on the counts of these growth increments, age estimates were derived as the basis for studies of age structure, growth and longevity. All the species appeared to have relatively low growth rates, but the interspecific variation in longevity illustrates that there is a considerable variation within the family and among species inhabiting the same deep-sea environment. Most of the species likely complete full life cycles on the MAR, but it is probable that both the youngest and the largest-oldest individuals of some of the species were not sampled adequately.     

Mitochondrial DNA inherited variants are associated with successful aging and longevity in humans.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is characterized by high variability, maternal inheritance, and absence of recombination. Studies of human populations have revealed ancestral associated polymorphisms whose combination defines groups of mtDNA types (haplogroups) that are currently used to reconstruct human evolution lineages. We used such inherited mtDNA markers to compare mtDNA population pools between a sample of individuals selected for successful aging and longevity (212 subjects older than 100 years and in good clinical condition) and a sample of 275 younger individuals (median age 38 years) carefully matched as to sex and geographic origin (northern and southern Italy). All nine haplogroups that are typical of Europeans were found in both samples, but male centenarians emerged in northern Italy as a particular sample: 1) mtDNA haplogroup frequency distribution was different between centenarians and younger individuals (P=0.017 by permutation tests); and 2) the frequency of the J haplogroup was notably higher in centenarians than in younger individuals (P=0.0052 by Fisher exact test). Since haplogroups are defined on the basis of inherited variants, these data show that mtDNA inherited variability could play a role in successful aging and longevity.     

酵母Sirtuins在细胞寿命中的作用

酿酒酵母(以下简略为酵母)作为寿命分析模型广泛应用于寿命研究领域。酵母寿命分析方法有两种,分别是复制型酵母寿命分析法和时序型酵母寿命分析法。目前,通过酵母寿命分析模型已识别出包括SIR2在内的多个寿命调节基因。SIR2是目前较好的被确立起来的寿命调节基因,具有NAD依赖型脱乙酰化酶的活性,从原核生物到真核生物都有良好的保守性。Sirtuins (Sir2蛋白家族的总称)在细胞内具有功能上的多样性,其中包括对于压力耐受的调节、基因转录的调节、代谢通路的调节以及寿命调节作用等。Sir2是Sirtuins家族最早发现的成员,其功能是参与异染色质结构域转录的沉默调节,同时还参与复制型酵母寿命的调节。已证明,SIR2的缺失会缩短酵母的寿命,基因表达的增高会延长寿命。Sir2的高等真核生物的同源蛋白也被证实参与衰老相关疾病的调节。本文中,我们将阐述Sir2以及Sir2的酵母同源蛋白Hst1-Hst4的功能,以及由它们调节的酵母寿命。     

Seasonal comparisons of Barn Owl diets in an agricultural and natural area in central South Africa

Longevity and displacement records aid in the understanding of animal senescence and the possible range of a species. Within wild populations this information is infrequent with most longevity reports being based on captive individuals and displacements being calculated from few monitored individuals within the population. Ringing offers a means of calculating these values and for avian species SAFRING and other bird ringing schemes are critically important. As many vulture populations are under threat, it has become ever more important to analyse all aspects of their demography to understand what can be done to aid the conservation of these species. Southern Africa’s eight vulture species are almost all listed as globally threatened and as a result many studies incorporate this ringing information. This has allowed for longevity records to be calculated for most of the species with the Cape Vulture obtaining the greatest reported longevity of 31 years 2 months and 14 days. In addition to the longevity records, ringing also produces maximum displacement records with the greatest vulture displacement being 2 530 km (White-backed Vulture). Although vulture ringing effort has improved in recent years very few new longevity records appear to be produced with most recent recoveries being under 10 years.     

How does marriage affect length of life? Analysis of a French historical dataset from an evolutionary perspective

There are broadly two explanations for why human longevity appears to be extended by marriage. First, there is the social explanation, whereby the companionship, division of labour and the economic support that marriage offers is thought to extend life. Second, there is a selective explanation, whereby those individuals with high potential longevity are more attractive to the opposite sex and therefore more likely to get married. Here we analyse the “TRA” dataset from 19th century France, using an evolutionary approach to address the question of why marriage is linked to longevity, focussing particularly on sex differences. The dataset is based on death and marriage records from all of France between 1798 and 1901 and includes information on age at death, marriage and wealth for individuals whose surnames began with the letters TRA. We find that marriage is positively associated with longevity, particularly for men. In part, this is related to the higher rate of deaths for single males during marriageable age, as compared to a higher rate of deaths for females during marriage. There is a positive association between wealth (at death) and longevity for individuals who were single or married at death, with a stronger effect for singles. Analysis of the effect of spousal age gap on duration of survival after first marriage indicates that men who were married to younger women lived longer, whereas the longevity of women was not associated with the spousal age gap. We put forward an evolutionary perspective on marriage and longevity, hypothesizing that there is an important role for sexual selection in the association between marriage and longevity, with women selecting on characteristics associated with longevity, whilst men select on characteristics associated with reproductive potential.     

椰心叶甲啮小蜂的繁殖生物学研究

对椰心叶甲啮小蜂羽化、求偶、交配、产卵、繁殖现象进行了观察研究。结果表明,补充营养对雌蜂的寿命和繁殖力均有影响。没有补充营养的情况下,雌蜂的平均寿命为2.48 d,一生可产21.43粒卵;每天补充10%蜜糖水,且雌蜂与寄主(椰心叶甲初蛹)比例为1:3时,雌蜂平均寿命为13.43 d,一生可产53.6粒卵;每天补充10%蜜糖水,且雌蜂与寄主(椰心叶甲初蛹)比例为1:1时,雌蜂平均寿命为14.78 d,一生可产42.5粒卵。椰心叶甲啮小蜂对水椰八角铁甲蛹的寄生率为82.25%,平均每寄主出蜂量为12.24头。     

Lipid metabolism and diet: possible mechanisms of slow aging

The ability to survive to an extremely old age is a consequence of complex interactions among genes, environment, lifestyle and luck. In the last two centuries, life expectancy in western countries has doubled, increasing from 40 to 81 years (79 for males and 82 for females). The candidate factors to determine such mortality reduction are reduced exposure to infections and the subsequent reduction in inflammatory responses, and to some extent, improvement in diet and nutrition. Among the people born at the beginning of the previous century, a small portion of individuals (1 in 10,000 born) have reached 100 years, surviving approximately 20 years more than the general population. The successful longevity of these individuals shows a familial component, possibly genetic, as underlined by the centenarian sibling's increased chance of reaching 100 years of age compared to the general population. Genetic studies on long living individuals have led to the discovery of potential genetic causes of extreme longevity. These discoveries have highlighted the role of lipid metabolism as a potential key player in the ability to survive to extreme old age. Additional studies on the longevity phenotype have confirmed the role of lipids and lipid-associated cell activities in the predisposition to longevity, from lower eukaryotes to humans. The main focus of this review is the appreciation of demographic survival data and changes in recent diet with the above mentioned genetic and phenotypic biomarkers of longevity, in order to elucidate hypotheses on mechanisms of slow aging and disease resistance.     

Synchronous nocturnal activity and gregarious roosting in the neotropical skipper butterfly Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

Gregarious roosting behaviour and nocturnal activity is virtually unknown within the family Hesperiidae. Observations on Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri (Bailey) from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, are presented which demonstrate that, during the dry season, individuals roost gregariously in cave-like situations during the day and are nocturnally active. Circadian behaviour is highly synchronized with regard to timing of departures and arrivals at the roosting site, and appears to be regulated by light levels. Individuals on the roost are in reproductive diapause and show marked roost-site fidelity and longevity. The break-up of roosts appears to be mediated by the onset of the first rains of the season. These observations are compared and discussed in relation to gregarious roosting in other Lepidoptera. Two possible life history strategies to explain roosting in C. fritzgaertneri , with appropriate experiments, are suggested for future studies.     

Re‐examining extreme longevity of the cave crayfish Orconectes australis using new mark–recapture data: a lesson on the limitations of iterative size‐at‐age models

1. Centenarian species, defined as those taxa with life spans that frequently exceed 100 years, have long been of interest to ecologists because they represent an extreme end point in a continuum of life history strategies. One frequently reported example of a freshwater centenarian is the obligate cave crayfish Orconectes australis, with a maximum longevity reported to exceed 176 years. As a consequence of its reported longevity, O. australis has been used as a textbook example of life history adaptation to the organic‐carbon limitation that characterises many cave‐stream food webs. 2. Despite being widely reported, uncertainties surround the original estimates of longevity for O. australis, which were based on a single study dating from the mid‐1970s. In the present study, we re‐evaluated the growth rate, time‐to‐maturity, female age‐at‐first‐reproduction and longevity of O. australis using a mark–recapture study of more than 5 years based upon more than 3800 free‐ranging individuals from three isolated cave streams in the south‐eastern United States. 3. The results of our study indicate that accurate estimates of the longevity of O. australis are ≤22 years, with only a small proportion of individuals (<5%) exceeding this age. Our estimates for female time‐to‐maturity (4–5 years) and age‐at‐first‐reproduction (5–6 years) are also substantially lower than earlier estimates. 4. These new data indicate that the age thresholds for life history events of O. australis are comparable to other estimates for a modest assemblage of cave and surface species of crayfish for which credible age estimate exists, suggesting that a cave environment per se is not required for the evolution of extreme longevity in crayfish.     

Longevity in cheetahs: the key to success?

An understanding of the factors governing reproductive success has fundamental implications for population demography, conservation, selection and adaptation. Although a consistent positive correlation between lifetime reproductive success and longevity has been reported for many iteroparous organisms, few studies have explored how longevity influences annual individual performance. In this study we show (1) that longevity and lifetime reproductive success are positively but not linearly correlated, (2) that short-lived individuals have higher annual reproductive success, (3) that the generally lower success of the last breeding occasion increased with females' longevity, and (4) that long-lived females have higher chances of rearing long-lived females. We suggest that experience and the increase in the number of reproductive events with longevity are key processes leading to a strong correlation between (1) lifetime reproductive success and longevity and (2) mother and daughter longevities. Our results demonstrate the importance of long term studies that follow multiple generations in gaining a full understanding of the factors affecting reproductive success.     

Using age grading by wing injuries to estimate size-dependent adult survivorship in the field: a case study of the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria

Abstract 1. Studies of natural selection depend on estimates of longevity and mortality in the wild. In small and mobile species such as insects, direct, mark–recapture (resight), studies are difficult to perform because individuals cannot be tracked easily.
2. It was investigated whether age grading based on wing injuries alone can be used to estimate size-specific survivorship in the field in the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) (Diptera: Scathophagidae).
3. The accumulation of different types of wing injury throughout the spring and autumn flight seasons for both sexes was recorded: tears, notches (both reflecting regular wear), and large missing areas (probably due to intra- and inter-specific interactions).
4. Female longevity increased with body size in both spring and autumn, whereas male longevity increased slightly with size in spring but decreased in autumn.
5. The two sexes and males of different size classes accumulated the various types of wing injury differentially, presumably due to differential patterns of intraspecific interactions. Additionally, body size exhibited a seasonal pattern, complicating interpretation of the relationship between body size and wing injuries.
6. It is therefore concluded that estimating adult viability selection on body size using wing injuries is problematic in dung flies, and potentially also in other species. It is suggested that before this method is applied in any particular species, pilot studies should be conducted to verify whether wing injuries accumulate equally in all classes of individuals of interest. In addition, it is necessary to investigate the causes of different types of wing injury.