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Nuclear accumulation of globular actin as a cellular senescence marker.

We evaluated the nuclear actin accumulation as a new marker of cellular senescence, using human diploid fibroblast (HDF), chondrocyte primary cultures, Mv1Lu epithelial cells, and Huh7 cancer cells. Nuclear accumulation of globular actin (G-actin) and dephosphorylated cofilin was highly significant in the senescent HDF cells, accompanied with inhibition of LIM kinase (LIMK) -1 activity. When nuclear export of the actin was induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, DNA synthesis of the senescent cells increased significantly, accompanied with changes of morphologic and biochemical profiles, such as increased RB protein phosphorylation and decreased expressions of p21(WAF1), cytoplasmic p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and caveolins 1 and 2. Significance of these findings was strengthened additionally by the fact that nuclear actin export of young HDF cells was inhibited by the treatment with leptomycin B and mutant cofilin transfection, whose LIMK-1 phosphorylation site was lost, and the old cell phenotypes were duplicated with nuclear actin accumulation, suggesting that nuclear actin accumulation was accompanied with G1 arrest during cellular senescence. The aforementioned changes were observed not only in the replicative senescence but also in the senescence induced by treatment of HDF cells, Mv1Lu, primary culture of human chondrocytes, or Huh7 cells with H-ras virus infection, hydroxyurea, deferoxamine, or H(2)O(2). Nuclear actin accumulation was much more sensitive and an earlier event than the well-known, senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity.

Actin Depolymerizing Factors↗

P16INK4a is required for hSNF5 chromatin remodeler-induced cellular senescence in malignant rhabdoid tumor cells.

The hSNF5 chromatin-remodeling factor is a tumor suppressor that is inactivated in malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs). A number of studies have shown that hSNF5 re-expression blocks MRT cell proliferation. However, the pathway through which hSNF5 acts remains unknown. To address this question, we generated MRT-derived cell lines in which restoration of hSNF5 expression leads to an accumulation in G(0)/G(1), induces cellular senescence and increased apoptosis. Following hSNF5 expression, we observed transcriptional activation of the tumor suppressor p16(INK4a) but not of p14(ARF), repression of several cyclins and CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein implicated in metastasis. Chromatin immunoprecipitations indicated that hSNF5 activates p16(INK4a) transcription and CD44 down-regulation by mediating recruitment of the SWI/SNF complex. Thus, hSNF5 acts as a dualistic co-regulator that, depending on the promoter context, can either mediate activation or repression. Three lines of evidence established that p16(INK4a) is an essential effector of hSNF5-induced cell cycle arrest. 1) Overexpression of p16(INK4a) mimics the effect of hSNF5 induction and leads to cellular senescence. 2) Expression of a p16(INK4a)-insensitive form of CDK4 obstructs hSNF5-induced cell cycle arrest. 3) Inhibition of p16(INK4a) activation by siRNA blocks hSNF5-mediated cellular senescence. Collectively, these results indicate that in human MRT cells, the p16(INK4a)/pRb, rather than the p14(ARF)/p53 pathway, mediates hSNF5-induced cellular senescence.

Apoptosis↗

Escape from therapy-induced accelerated cellular senescence in p53-null lung cancer cells and in human lung cancers.

Accelerated cellular senescence (ACS) has been described for tumor cells treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Following exposure to genotoxins, tumor cells undergo terminal growth arrest and adopt morphologic and marker features suggestive of cellular senescence. ACS is elicited by a variety of chemotherapeutic agents in the p53-null, p16-deficient human non-small cell H1299 carcinoma cells. After 10 to 21 days, infrequent ACS cells (1 in 10(6)) can bypass replicative arrest and reenter cell cycle. These cells express senescence markers and resemble the parental cells in their transcription profile. We show that these escaped H1299 cells overexpress the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc2/Cdk1. The escape from ACS can be disrupted by Cdc2/Cdk1 kinase inhibitors or by knockdown of Cdc2/Cdk1 with small interfering RNA and can be promoted by expression of exogenous Cdc2/Cdk1. We also present evidence that ACS occurs in vivo in human lung cancer following induction chemotherapy. Viable tumors following chemotherapy also overexpress Cdc2/Cdk1. We propose that ACS is a mechanism of in vivo tumor response and that mechanisms aberrantly up-regulate Cdc2/Cdk1 promotes escape from the senescence pathway may be involved in a subset of tumors and likely accounts for tumor recurrence/progression.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Cellular senescence and atherosclerosis.

Most recent texts on atherosclerosis do not consider cellular senescence. Texts that do take this up often emphasize smooth muscle cells. This paper presents some evidence for the role of cellular senescence in atherogenesis, and points out that the cells of the intimal endothelium may be equally important in this respect.

Adult↗

Ninjurin1 increases p21 expression and induces cellular senescence in human hepatoma cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ninjurin1 is a novel adhesion molecule that has a role in promoting nerve regeneration. Although ninjurin1 is ubiquitously expressed in various human tissues, including the liver, the biologic functions of ninjurin1 in tissues other than the nervous system remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of ninjurin1 in hepatocytes. METHODS: The effect of ninjurin1 overexpression was examined in Huh-7 hepatoma cells. Ninjurin1 expression was examined by Western blot in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues as well as their adjacent liver tissues. RESULTS: Ninjurin1-overexpressing clones exhibited strong growth inhibition due to G1 cell cycle arrest, which is associated with a posttranscriptional increase in p21WAF1/Cip1, a decrease of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 activity and the hypophosphorylation of Rb. The ninjurin1-overexpressing clones had increased senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity and autofluorescent pigment, characteristic features of cellular senescence. The levels of ninjurin1 expression were higher in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues than those in adjacent liver tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides the first evidence that ninjurin1 is able to induce the senescence program. Ninjurin1 may be involved in the regulation of cellular senescence in the liver during carcinogenesis.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

From cells to ageing: a review of models and mechanisms of cellular senescence and their impact on human ageing.

Given the duration of ageing in humans, cell culture studies are a promising approach to the study of human ageing. It is reasonable to assume that human ageing has, at least partly, a cellular origin. The question is how we can replicate in vitro the age-related changes that occur in human cells in vivo. In this review, widely used models for studying ageing in cell culture, such as Hayflick's, are interpreted in the context of the human ageing process. The mechanisms behind cellular senescence such as telomere disruption and DNA damage are reviewed and their relation to human ageing debated. A system-level examination of these mechanisms suggests that cell culture models are useful for studying cancer and certain age-related pathologies. There is little evidence, however, that cellular senescence is a significant factor in human ageing or that the mechanisms responsible for in vitro cellular senescence are a causative factor in human ageing in vivo. Therefore, novel approaches for studying human ageing at a cellular level are necessary and some suggestions are put forward.

Aging↗

Regulation of cellular senescence by p53.

Many normal cells respond to potentially oncogenic stimuli by undergoing cellular senescence, a state of irreversibly arrested proliferation and altered differentiated function. Cellular senescence very likely evolved to suppress tumorigenesis. In support of this idea, it is regulated by several tumor suppressor genes. At the heart of this regulation is p53. p53 is essential for the senescence response to short telomeres, DNA damage, oncogenes and supraphysiological mitogenic signals, and overexpression of certain tumor suppressor genes. Despite the well-documented central role for p53 in the senescence response, many questions remain regarding how p53 senses senescence-inducing stimuli and how it elicits the senescent phenotype.

Aging↗

Stress kinase MKK7: savior of cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK/SAPK) signaling cascade controls a spectrum of cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, transformation, and apoptosis. We recently demonstrated that stress kinase MKK7, a direct activator of JNKs, couples stress signaling to G2/M cell cycle progression, CDC2 expression, and cellular senescence. We further explored other molecules involved in JNK pathway and found that both MKK4, another direct activator of JNK, and c-Jun, a direct substrate of JNK, have similar roles to MKK7. Here we discuss the importance of the MKK4/MKK7-JNK-c-Jun pathway linking stress and developmental signals to cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cellular senescence, and apoptosis including recent unpublished data from our lab.

Animals↗

Werner syndrome protein limits MYC-induced cellular senescence.

The MYC oncoprotein is a transcription factor that coordinates cell growth and division. MYC overexpression exacerbates genomic instability and sensitizes cells to apoptotic stimuli. Here we demonstrate that MYC directly stimulates transcription of the human Werner syndrome gene, WRN, which encodes a conserved RecQ helicase. Loss-of-function mutations in WRN lead to genomic instability, an elevated cancer risk, and premature cellular senescence. The overexpression of MYC in WRN syndrome fibroblasts or after WRN depletion from control fibroblasts led to rapid cellular senescence that could not be suppressed by hTERT expression. We propose that WRN up-regulation by MYC may promote MYC-driven tumorigenesis by preventing cellular senescence.

Cell Division↗

Identification of a </= 600-kb region on human chromosome 1q42.3 inducing cellular senescence.

The introduction of a human chromosome 1 via microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT) induces the cellular senescence in mouse melanoma B16-F10 cells. The senescent cells maintained still the telomerase activity, which is frequently associated with immortal growth of human cells, suggesting that a telomerase-independent mechanism is involved in the senescence observed in this mouse cell line. To map the senescence-inducing gene to a specific chromosomal region, we took two experimental approaches: identification of a minimal region with the senescence-inducing activity via MMCT of a series of subchromosomal transferrable fragments (STFs), each consisting of a different profile of human chromosome 1-derived regions, and identification of a region commonly deleted from the transferred chromosome 1 in the revertant clones that escaped cellular senescence. These approaches identified a 2.7-3.0 Mb of senescence-inducing region shared among the active STFs and a 2.4-3.0 Mb of commonly deleted region in the revertant clones. These two regions overlapped each other to map the responsible gene at the 450 to 600-kb interval between UniSTS93710 and D1S3542 on chromosome 1q42.3. This study provides essential information and materials for cloning and characterization of a novel senescence-inducing gene that functions in a telomerase-independent pathway, which is likely to be conserved between mice and humans.

Animals↗

Endothelial cellular senescence is inhibited by nitric oxide: implications in atherosclerosis associated with menopause and diabetes.

Senescence may contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Although the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) is limited in senescence, the effect of NO on senescence and its relationship to cardiovascular risk factors have not been investigated fully. We studied these factors by investigating senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) and human telomerase activity in human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs). Treatment with NO donor (Z)-1-[2-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-aminoethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA-NO) and transfection with endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) into HUVECs each decreased the number of SA-beta-gal positive cells and increased telomerase activity. The NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) abolished the effect of eNOS transfection. The physiological concentration of 17beta-estradiol activated hTERT, decreased SA-beta-gal-positive cells, and caused cell proliferation. However, ICI 182780, an estrogen receptor-specific antagonist, and L-NAME each inhibited these effects. Finally, we investigated the effect of NO bioavailability on high glucose-promoted cellular senescence of HUVECs. Inhibition by eNOS transfection of this cellular senescence under high glucose conditions was less pronounced. Treatment with L-arginine or L-citrulline of eNOS-transfected cells partially inhibited, and combination of L-arginine and L-citrulline with antioxidants strongly prevented, high glucose-induced cellular senescence. These data demonstrate that NO can prevent endothelial senescence, thereby contributing to the anti-senile action of estrogen. The ingestion of NO-boosting substances, including L-arginine, L-citrulline, and antioxidants, can delay endothelial senescence under high glucose. We suggest that the delay in endothelial senescence through NO and/or eNOS activation may have clinical utility in the treatment of atherosclerosis in the elderly.

Atherosclerosis↗

Id1 regulation of cellular senescence through transcriptional repression of p16/Ink4a.

The Id family of helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcriptional regulatory proteins does not possess a basic DNA-binding domain and functions as a negative regulator of basic HLH transcription factors. Id proteins coordinate cell growth and differentiation pathways within mammalian cells and have been shown to regulate G(1)-S cell-cycle transitions. Although much recent data has implicated Id1 in playing a critical role in modulating cellular senescence, no direct genetic evidence has been reported to substantiate such work. Here we show that Id1-null primary mouse embryo fibroblasts undergo premature senescence despite normal growth profiles at early passage. These cells possess increased expression of the tumor-suppressor protein p16/Ink4a but not p19/ARF, and have decreased cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 2 and cdk4 kinase activity. We also show that Id1 is able to directly inhibit p16/Ink4a but not p19/ARF promoter activity via its HLH domain, and that Id1 inhibits transcriptional activation at E-boxes within the p16/Ink4a promoter. Our data provide, to our knowledge, the first genetic evidence for a role for Id1 as an inhibitor of cellular senescence and suggest that Id1 functions to delay cellular senescence through repression of p16/Ink4a. Because epigenetic and genetic abrogation of p16/Ink4a function has been implicated in the evolution of several human malignancies, we propose that transcriptional regulation of p16/Ink4a may also provide a mechanism for the dysregulation of normal cellular growth controls during the evolution of human malignancies.

Animals↗

Cellular senescence: a reflection of normal growth control, differentiation, or aging?

Normal cells, with few exceptions, cannot proliferate indefinitely. Cell populations--in vivo and in culture--generally undergo only a limited number of doublings before proliferation invariably and irreversibly ceases. This process has been termed the finite lifespan phenotype or cellular senescence. There is long-standing, albeit indirect, evidence that cellular senescence plays an important role in complex biological processes as diverse as normal growth control, differentiation, development, aging, and tumorigenesis. In recent years, it has been possible to develop a molecular framework for understanding some of the fundamental features of cellular senescence. This framework derives primarily from the physiology, genetics, and molecular biology of cells undergoing senescence in culture. Our understanding of senescence, and the mechanisms that control it, is still in its infancy. Nonetheless, recent data raise some intriguing possibilities regarding potential molecular bases for the links between senescence in culture and normal and abnormal growth control, differentiation, and aging.

Adult↗

Molecular aspects of the relationship between cancer and aging: tumor suppressor activity during cellular senescence.

Normal cells cultured in vitro lose their proliferative potential after a finite number of doublings in a process termed replicative cellular senescence (Hayflick, 1965). The roles that growth inhibitory tumor suppressors play in the establishment and maintainence of cellular senescence have been reported in many different systems. The Rb and p53 tumor suppressors are examples of growth inhibitors that lose the ability to be regulated and are constantly activated during senescence. Other proteins that inhibit the initiation of DNA synthesis in early passage fibroblasts and that link the action of tumor suppressors with the cell cycle machinery, are also expressed at higher levels in senescent cells. For example, the increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16 may contribute to arresting the growth of senescent cells. Identification and characterization of additional genes encoding growth inhibitors that are upregulated in senescent cells, such as the recently isolated p33ING1 protein, should provide a better understanding of the "aging program" that ceases to operate in the generation of immortal cancer cells.

Aging↗

The role of cellular senescence may be to prevent proliferation of neighboring cells within stem cell niches.

It has long been suspected that cellular senescence is an anticancer mechanism; however, it has been difficult to understand the advantage for the organism of retaining mutant cells in a postmitotic state rather than simply deleting them by apoptosis. It is proposed that in certain circumstances apoptosis promotes neoplasia by causing cells adjacent to the deleted cell to divide and that the role of cellular senescence is to prevent this. This may be particularly important in mammalian stem cell niches. After loss of a stem cell from a niche, another stem cell within the same niche divides symmetrically to restore the original number. The most important human malignancies arise from tissues maintained by stem cells, and there is increasing evidence that stem cells are the targets for at least the initial genetic changes that occur during carcinogenesis. If a subset of stem cells within a niche arises containing an oncogenic mutation, then tumor suppressor mechanisms promote apoptosis of these cells, and the niche restores the original number of stem cells by replication of both normal and mutated stem cells. Thus, paradoxically apoptosis increases turnover of mutant cells with associated risk of further genetic changes. However, if in addition mutant cells can become senescent, then the niche is progressively filled by senescent cells until either the mutant cells are eliminated or the niche is completely occupied by postmitotic cells, thereby preventing further evolution of the neoplastic clone. The consequences of this hypothesis are explored by computer modeling.

Apoptosis↗

G-protein gamma subunit GNG11 strongly regulates cellular senescence.

GNG11 is a member of the gamma subunit family of heteromeric G-protein, but its function is entirely unknown. Here, we successfully characterized its specific role in cellular senescence. We have found that overexpression of GNG11 immediately induces cellular senescence in normal human fibroblasts, and its down-regulation by antisense cDNA extends their lifespan. Surprisingly, this gene is very rapidly induced by senescence-inducing agents such as H(2)O(2). Furthermore, overexpression of GNG11 activated ERK1/2 of the MAP kinase family, but did not Ras. Collectively, these results suggest a novel senescence pathway mediated by GNG11 in response to environmental cues.

Cell Line↗

Irreversible cellular senescence induced by prolonged exposure to H2O2 involves DNA-damage-and-repair genes and telomere shortening.

H2O2 has been the most commonly used inducer for stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), which shares features of replicative senescence. However, there is still uncertainty whether SIPS and replicative senescence differ or utilize different pathways. 'Young' human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs), treated with prolonged low doses of hydrogen peroxide, led to irreversible cellular senescence. Cells exhibited senescent-morphological features, irreversible G1 cell cycle arrest and irreversible senescence-associated beta-galactosidase positivity. The appearance of these cellular senescence markers was accompanied by significant increases of p21, gadd45 expression and p53 binding activity, as well as a significant decline in DNA repair capability and accelerated telomere shortening. Our results suggest that multiple pathways might be involved in oxidative SIPS, including genes related to DNA-damage-and-repair and telomere shortening, and that SIPS shares the same mechanisms with replicative senescence in vivo. Our findings indicate that several aging theories can be merged together by a common mechanism of oxidative damage, and that the level of oxidative DNA-damage-and-repair capacity may be exploited as reliable markers of cell senescence.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗

Cellular senescence and matrix metalloproteinase activity in chronic wounds. Relevance to debridement and new technologies.

A prolonged inflammatory response may adversely affect wound closure. Delayed wound closure and extended exposure to chronic wound fluid may also affect cellular activity in a wound bed and result in cellular senescence. Prolonged inflammation and cellular senescence may adversely affect the efficacy of topically-applied biological agents, including growth factors. Appropriate wound bed preparation and debridement are necessary to improve clinical outcomes of new technologies.

Chronic Disease↗