Ageing Under the Influence of a Mobile Genome: Interactions Between Transposable Elements and Cellular Mechanisms
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Ageing is a progressive biological process characterized by a decline in physiological functions and increased vulnerability to disease. Transposable elements (TEs), mobile DNA sequences, can disrupt cellular function by altering gene expression, chromosome structure, and the epigenome. Normally repressed by epigenetic mechanisms—such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small RNAs—TEs become more active with age due to the weakening of these control systems. Our article highlights the ambivalent role of TEs in ageing, acting both as causes and consequences of this process.
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