Phenotypic upregulation of hexocylceramides and ether-linked phosphocholines as markers of human extreme longevity

Abstract

Centenarians and their relatives possess a notable survival advantage, with higher longevity and reduced susceptibility to major age-related diseases. To date, characteristic omics profiles of centenarians have been described, demonstrating that these individuals with exceptional longevity regulate their metabolism to adapt and incorporate more resilient biomolecules into their cells. Among these adaptations, the lipidomic profile stands out. However, it has not yet been determined whether this lipidomic profile is specific to centenarians or is the consequence of extreme longevity genetics and is also present in centenarians' offspring. This distinction is crucial for defining potential therapeutic targets that could help delay the aging process and associated pathologies. We applied mass-spectrometry-based techniques to quantify 569 lipid species in plasma samples from 39 centenarians, 63 centenarians' offspring, and 69 noncentenarians' offspring without familial connections. Based on this profile, we calculated different indexes to characterize the functional and structural properties of plasma lipidome. Our findings demonstrate that extreme longevity genetics (centenarians and centenarians' offspring) determines a specific lipidomic signature characterized by (i) an enrichment of hexosylceramides, (ii) a decrease of specific species of ceramides and sulfatides, (iii) a global increase of ether-PC and ether-LPC, and (iv) changes in the fluidity and diversity of specific lipid classes. We point out the conversion of ceramides to hexosylceramides and the maintenance of the levels of the ether-linked PC as a phenotypic trait to guarantee extreme longevity. We propose that this molecular signature is the result of an intrinsic adaptive program that preserves protective mechanisms and cellular identity.