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Brainnews原创编译 | www.brainnews.cn The programme controls how and when brain genes are expressed at different times in a person's life to perform a range of functions, the study found. 研究发现，大脑中仿佛有一个程序在控制着大脑基因的改变，让基因在人一生中的不同时刻履行不同的功能。 Experts say the timing is so precise that they can tell the age of a person by looking at the genes that are expressed in a sample of brain tissue. 专家们说，这个时刻表是如此准确以至于他们能够通过大脑组织样本里基因的表达就能判断一个人年龄。 Scientists analysed existing data which measured gene expression in brain tissue samples from across the human lifespan - from development in the womb up to 78 years of age. 科学家分析了从子宫时期到78岁的，几乎贯穿整个人类寿命的大脑组织样本的已知基因测试数据。 They found the timing of when different genes are expressed follows a strict pattern across the lifespan. 他们发现遍及整个生命周期中不同基因表达的时间遵循一个严格模式。 Most of the changes in gene expression in the brain were completed by middle-age, the study found. 大脑里基因表达的大多数变化都在中年前完成。 The gene programme is delayed slightly in women compared with men, suggesting that the female brain ages more slowly than the male. 而与男性相比，女性的基因程序有一点延迟，表明女性大脑比男性大脑衰老的更慢。 The biggest reorganisation of genes occurs during young adulthood, peaking around age 26, the team found. These changes affected the same genes that are associated with schizophrenia. 这个研究发现，最大的基因重组出现在成年初期，26岁到达顶峰。这些变化可能影响着与精神分裂症相关的基因。 这些变化可能影响着与精神分裂症相关的基因 The team says this could explain why people with schizophrenia do not show symptoms until young adulthood, even though the genetic changes responsible for the condition are present from birth. 该研究团队说，这也许能解释为什么精神分裂症患者直到成年初期才表现出症状，尽管出现这种情况（精神分裂症）的基因变化是与生俱来的。 The study found the genetic programme is present in mice too, although it changes more rapidly across their shorter lifespan. This suggests that the calendar of brain aging is shared between all mammals and may be millions of years old. 研究还发现这个调控基因变化的“程序”在老鼠身上也存在，尽管由于它们的寿命更短，这个变化更快。这意味着大脑衰老的“日程表”在所有哺乳动物中共存并且可能已经存在了百万年。 Researchers next plan to study how the genetic programme is controlled, which could lead to therapies that alter the course of brain aging, the scientists say. 科学家们下一步计划研究基因程序是如何控制的，可能可以找到治疗大脑衰老的方法。 It could also hold clues to new treatments for schizophrenia and other mental health problems in young adults. 它也可能为青壮年的精神分裂症和其他精神健康问题的新疗法带来线索。 Professor Seth Grant, Head of the Genes to Cognition Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The discovery of this genetic programme opens up a completely new way to understand behaviour and brain diseases throughout life.' 爱丁堡大学的基因认知实验室的负责人Seth Grant 教授说，基因变化控制程序的发现开辟了一条全新的方式去理解贯穿人生的行为和大脑疾病。 Dr Nathan Skene, Research Scientist at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said: 'Many people believe our brain simply wears out as we age. But our study suggests that brain aging is strictly controlled by our genes.' 爱丁堡大学的临床脑科学中心的研究员 Nathan Skene博士说，很多人以为当我们老了，大脑也耗尽了，但我们的研究表明，大脑衰老是由我们的基因严格控制的。 The research, published in the journal eLife, was funded by the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme. 这项发表在《eLife》期刊的研究，是由《医学研究委员会》、《惠康基金会》和《欧盟第七框架计划》共同资助的。 文献信息： A genomic lifespan program that reorganises the young adult brain is targeted in schizophrenia, Nathan G Skene, Marcia Roy, Seth GN Grant, eLife, doi: 10.7554/eLife.17915, published 12 September 2017. |
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