# Activation of Endogenous Transposable Elements by Myc During Aging

> **NIH NIH R01** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $335,470

## Abstract

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A poorly explored potential contributor to aging is the mobilization of endogenous transposable elements
(TEs), which can be highly mutagenic and promote genomic instability. The goal of this proposal is to
determine the functional link between activation of endogenous TEs by the transcription factor Myc and
changes to lifespan and aging. Previous data showed that increasing or decreasing levels of the oncoprotein
Myc in the model organism Drosophila reduced or extended lifespan, respectively. New data that forms the
basis of this proposal show that Myc activates the expression of a subset of endogenous TEs. Because
mobilization of TEs can cause insertional mutagenesis, genome rearrangements and DNA damage, they have
been proposed to contribute to tumorigenesis and other phenotypes associated with aging. However, a
significant hurdle to understanding the effects of transposon mobilization has been a lack of methods to identify
de novo TE insertions, since they are unique to individual somatic cells so are extremely difficult to identify by
sequencing bulk tissue DNA. Only a single cell approach such as the one described in this proposal allows the
number and distribution of de novo TE insertions that occur with age in somatic cells to be determined.
Significantly, whole genome sequencing of multiple individual indirect flight muscle (IFM) nuclei from young
and old wildtype flies revealed that the number of de novo transposon insertions increased with age. The three
most frequently mobilized TEs were also found to be induced by Myc. However key questions remain
unanswered regarding the link between Myc levels, TE activation and aging. For example, it is not known
where TEs insert within the genome during aging or the frequency at which they mobilize. Nor is it known how
Myc activates the expression of a subset of TEs, or whether their activation is functionally important for aging.
The central hypothesis of this proposal is that is that Myc acts as a pro-aging gene by increasing and/or
altering the distribution of de novo TE insertions in somatic cells, and that this adversely affects cell and tissue
function leading to decreased lifespan. This hypothesis will be tested by pursuing three specific aims: Aim 1)
Compare the frequency and genomic distribution of de novo TE insertions in wildtype flies and flies with
increased or decreased Myc levels. Aim 2) Define the mechanism by which Myc activates the expression of
specific TEs. Aim 3) Determine the functional link between Myc levels, TE activation and changes to lifespan.
These analyses are significant because the activation of TEs by Myc could contribute to a range of age-related
phenotypes, and suppressing their mobilization may provide a new therapeutic avenue to improve healthspan.
The approach is methodologically innovative because it uses novel single cell genomic analyses to identify low
abundance TE insertions that cannot be detected using whole tissue or organism approaches. It is
conce...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920640
- **Project number:** 5R01AG053269-05
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** NICOLA NERETTI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $335,470
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920640

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920640, Activation of Endogenous Transposable Elements by Myc During Aging (5R01AG053269-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920640. Licensed CC0.

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