The longevity factor spermidine is part of a highly heritable complex erythrocyte phenotype associated with longevity.

Abstract

Extreme longevity in humans is known to be a heritable trait. In a well-established twin erythrocyte metabolomics and proteomics database, we identified the longevity factor spermidine and a cluster of correlated molecules with high heritability estimates. Erythrocyte spermidine is 82% heritable and significantly correlated with 59 metabolites and 22 proteins. Thirty-eight metabolites and 19 proteins were >20% heritable, with a mean heritability of 61% for metabolites and 49% for proteins. Correlated metabolites are concentrated in energy metabolism, redox homeostasis, and autophagy pathways. Erythrocyte mean cell volume (MCV), an established heritable trait, was consistently negatively correlated with the top 25 biomolecules most strongly correlated with spermidine, indicating that smaller MCVs are associated with higher concentrations of spermidine and correlated molecules. Previous studies have linked larger MCVs with poorer memory, cognition, and all-cause mortality. Analysis of 432,682 unique patient records showed a linear increase in MCV with age but a significant deviation toward smaller than expected MCVs above age 86, suggesting that smaller MCVs are associated with extreme longevity. Consistent with previous reports, a subset of 78,158 unique patient records showed a significant skewing toward larger MCV values in a deceased cohort compared to an age-matched living cohort. Our study supports the existence of a complex, heritable phenotype in erythrocytes associated with health and longevity.