The methylation of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in ageing phenotypes and longevity

Additionally, it has also come to light an implication of the mitochondrial genome in the regulation of the intracellular epigenetic landscape, as demonstrated by the being itself object of epigenetic modifications.

An increasing body of data is progressively indicating that the comprehension of the epigenetic landscape, actively integrated with the genetic elements, is crucial to delineate the molecular basis of the inter-individual complexity of ageing process. Indeed, it has emerged that DNA methylation changes occur during ageing, consisting mainly in a progressive process of genome demethylation, in a hypermethylation of gene-specific CpG dinucleotides, as well as in an inter-individual divergence of the epigenome due to stochastic events and environmental exposures throughout life, namely as epigenetic drift.