Extended Data Fig. 7: Validation of changes in ribosomal-protein genes and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes during ageing.

(a) Expression of ribosomal-protein genes in three age groups, 15–39 (red, N = 5), 40–69 (magenta, N = 6), and 70–104 (purple, N = 6) always decreases significantly after age 39. (*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; Two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test). (b) Box plots showing the regression slope of ribosomal-protein genes (teal, N = 81) and nuclear-encoded electron transport chain genes (purple, N = 82). Ribosomal genes shown are the same as shown in Extended Data Fig. 8 and mitochondrial genes shown are the same as shown in Extended Data Fig. 10. (c) Fold change of ribosomal proteins (top) and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (bottom) in ageing in the Ling et al.²⁹ data for each cell type. The expression changes match those seen in this study. Ext, excitatory neurons; Inb, inhibitory neurons; Oli, oligodendrocytes; OPC, oligodendrocyte precursor cells; Ast, astrocytes; Micro, microglia; Endo, endothelial. (*, p < 0.05; two-sided T-test, elderly N = 116, adult N = 64). (d) Box plots comparing expression of ribosomal-protein genes in adults from this study (red, N = 9), all donors from Mathyset al.³⁰ (violet, N = 189), elderly donors from this study (lilac, N = 7), donors 70–79 from Mathys et al. (light purple, N = 35), and donors over 80 from Mathys et al. (dark purple, N = 155). Wilcoxon rank-sum test comparing adults in this study to each of the Mathys groups are all significant. (*, p < 0.05; ***, p < 0.001; Two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test). (e) Expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes of the electro transport chain in three age groups, 15–39 (red, N = 5), 40–69 (magenta, N = 6), and 70–104 (purple, N = 6) always decreases significantly after age 39. (*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; Two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test). (f) Box plots comparing expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes of the electron transport chain in adults from this study (red, N = 9), all donors from Mathys et al. (violet, N = 189), elderly donors from this study (lilac, N = 7), donors 70–79 from Mathys et al. (light purple, N = 34), and donors over 80 from Mathys et al. (dark purple, N = 155). Wilcoxon rank-sum test comparing adults in this study to each of the Mathys groups are all significant. All box plots depict median, and first and third quartile. Whiskers show 1.5 × IQR beyond the first and third quartiles. (***, p < 0.001; Two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test).