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Centenarians, individuals who reach extreme old age, provide a valuable model for understanding mechanisms associated with healthy aging. Using ATAC-seq and transcriptomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from centenarians, we identified a distinct chromatin accessibility landscape linked to exceptional longevity. Integrative analysis highlighted the E-26 transformation-specific (ETS)-related transcription factor ERG as a longevity-associated regulator. Functional studies in human cells showed that ERG forms nuclear condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation, a property associated with altered chromatin organization and reduced expression of senescence-related genes, including CDKN2A. Consistent with these effects, ERG condensation was associated with attenuation of cellular senescence phenotypes. Together, these findings connect epigenomic features observed in centenarians with transcription factor biophysical properties and cellular aging control, highlighting phase separation as a regulatory layer that may contribute to cellular resilience during aging.
Pu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.