Larval diapause slows adult epigenetic aging in an insect model, <i>Nasonia vitripennis</i>.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation provide robust biomarkers of biological age, yet the mechanistic basis and functional significance of slowing these clocks remain unclear. Progress has been limited by the lack of short-lived, genetically tractable model organisms with functional DNA methylation systems. The jewel wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, offers a unique solution. It combines a functional DNA methylation system with a short lifespan and established tools for experimental manipulation. We previously developed an epigenetic clock in Nasonia, but whether this clock reflects plastic, environmentally driven aging processes was unknown. Here, we test this directly by experimentally inducing larval diapause, a naturally occurring developmental arrest triggered by environm

SUBMITTER: Foley EEB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12337301 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature