Organism-wide cellular dynamics and epigenomic remodeling in mammalian aging
Summary
To investigate organism-wide cellular alterations and epigenomic dynamics during aging, we constructed a single-cell chromatin accessibility atlas spanning 21 mouse tissues across three age groups and both sexes. We found that around one-quarter of 536 organ-specific cell types and 1828 finer-grained subtypes exhibited considerable age-related population shifts. Cellular states from broadly distributed lineages displayed synchronized dynamics with age, indicating systemic signals that coor
Content
# Organism-wide cellular dynamics and epigenomic remodeling in mammalian aging
*Published: 2026 Feb 26*
To investigate organism-wide cellular alterations and epigenomic dynamics during
aging, we constructed a single-cell chromatin accessibility atlas spanning 21
mouse tissues across three age groups and both sexes. We found that around
one-quarter of 536 organ-specific cell types and 1828 finer-grained subtypes
exhibited considerable age-related population shifts. Cellular states from
broadly distributed lineages displayed synchronized dynamics with age,
indicating systemic signals that coordinate these changes. Molecular analyses
identified both intrinsic regulators (chromatin peaks, transcription factor
activity) and extrinsic factors (cytokine programs) underlying these shifts.
Moreover, ~40% of aging-associated population dynamics were sex-dependent, with
tens of thousands of peaks altered exclusively in one sex. Together, these
findings present a comprehensive framework for how aging reshapes the chromatin
landscape and cellular composition across diverse tissues.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adw6273