Connor Kim, Connor Raven and Diya Shad

Abstract:

Retrotransposons are mobile DNA elements that replicate by inserting new copies of themselves into genomes, and they are abundant across many species. In yeast and other organisms, retrotransposon activity has been observed to increase with age. Our lab previously found that aging yeast mother cells exhibit higher retrotransposon activity than their younger daughter cells. In this study, we investigate how differences in pH and mitochondrial activity between mother and daughter cells affect retrotransposon behavior. Our findings provide new insight into how cellular physiology regulates retrotransposons and how they may influence the aging process.