Anti-aging peptide bioregulators induce reactivation of chromatin.

Georgian medical news2006PMID: 16705247

Plain Language Summary

Synthetic peptides including Epitalon reactivated condensed chromatin in cells from elderly individuals aged 75-88. The peptides activated ribosomal genes, unwound tightly packed DNA, and released genes that had been silenced by age-related chromatin condensation, demonstrating their potential to reverse epigenetic changes associated with aging.

Abstract

The effect of synthetic peptide bioregulators (Epitalon, Livagen and Vilon) on structural and facultative heterochromatin of cultivated lymphocytes have been studied among old (75-88yr.) people. The data obtained indicate that epitalon, livagen and vilon: 1) activate synthetic processes, caused by reactivation of ribosomal genes as a result of deheterochromatinization (decondensation) of nucleolus organizer regions; 2) induce unrolling (deheterochromatinization) of total heterochromatin; 3) release genes repressed by heterochromatinization (condensation) of euchromatic regions forming facultative heterochromatin; 4) epitalon and livagen induce deheterochromatinization (decondensation) of pericentromeric structural heterochromatin of the chromosomes1 and 9. However, vilon does not induce deheterochromatinization of pericentromeric structural heterochromatin. These results indicate that peptide bioregulators Epitalon, Livagen and Vilon cause activation (deheterochromatinization) of chromatin in lymphocytes of old individuals.

Authors

Lezhava, T; Monaselidze, J; Kadotani, T; Dvalishvili, N; Buadze, T