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Comparison of replicative senescence and stress-induced premature senescence combining differential display and low-density DNA arrays.

Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) exposed to subcytotoxic stress display many features of senescence. Using differential display RT-PCR, gene expression of HDFs in premature senescence induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide or ethanol and in replicative senescence was compared to gene expression of HDFs at early cumulative population doublings. Thirty genes of known function were identified from the 265 differentially displayed cDNA fragments. A customized low-density array allowed to confirm the relative level of the corresponding 30 transcripts. We found differential expression of genes coding for proteins implicated namely in growth arrest (PTEN, IGFBP-3, LRP-1 and CAV1), senescent morphogenesis (TGF-beta1 and LOXL2) and iron metabolism (TFR and FTL).

Cellular Senescence↗

Human keratinocytes that express hTERT and also bypass a p16(INK4a)-enforced mechanism that limits life span become immortal yet retain normal growth and differentiation characteristics.

Normal human cells exhibit a limited replicative life span in culture, eventually arresting growth by a process termed senescence. Progressive telomere shortening appears to trigger senescence in normal human fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial cells, as ectopic expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, hTERT, immortalizes these cell types directly. Telomerase expression alone is insufficient to enable certain other cell types to evade senescence, however. Such cells, including keratinocytes and mammary epithelial cells, appear to require loss of the pRB/p16(INK4a) cell cycle control mechanism in addition to hTERT expression to achieve immortality. To investigate the relationships among telomerase activity, cell cycle control, senescence, and differentiation, we expressed hTERT in two epithelial cell types, keratinocytes and mesothelial cells, and determined the effect on proliferation potential and on the function of cell-type-specific growth control and differentiation systems. Ectopic hTERT expression immortalized normal mesothelial cells and a premalignant, p16(INK4a)-negative keratinocyte line. In contrast, when four keratinocyte strains cultured from normal tissue were transduced to express hTERT, they were incompletely rescued from senescence. After reaching the population doubling limit of their parent cell strains, hTERT(+) keratinocytes entered a slow growth phase of indefinite length, from which rare, rapidly dividing immortal cells emerged. These immortal cell lines frequently had sustained deletions of the CDK2NA/INK4A locus or otherwise were deficient in p16(INK4a) expression. They nevertheless typically retained other keratinocyte growth controls and differentiated normally in culture and in xenografts. Thus, keratinocyte replicative potential is limited by a p16(INK4a)-dependent mechanism, the activation of which can occur independent of telomere length. Abrogation of this mechanism together with telomerase expression immortalizes keratinocytes without affecting other major growth control or differentiation systems.

Cell Differentiation↗

Acidic fibroblast growth factor protects memory and immunoreactivity impairment in senescence accelerated mice.

Subcutaneous injection of aFGF once per a week into senescence accelerated mice (SAM)P8 was begun at 3 weeks after birth and continued for 10 months. Saline was injected as a control. Learning and memory and cellular immunological functions in the aFGF (F) group were enhanced significantly and while those of the saline (S) group deteriorated. The number of cholinergic neurons was decreased slightly and choline acetyltransferase activity in individual neurons in the medial septum which send monosynaptic terminals to the hippocampus was significantly decreased in the S group, but were more spared in the F group. The MAO-B activity was significantly lower in the F group than in the S group. The respective densities of muscarinic and NMDA receptors and the aFGF receptor, i.e. FGFR-1 in the hippocampus were also significantly higher in the F group than in the S group. The delayed type hypersensitivity reactions (DTH) in the footpad caused by challenge with trinitrophenyl or sheep red blood cells as measured at the end of the 2nd and 7th months, indicated the T cell immune response. Both types of DTHs were reduced in the 7th month as compared with the 2nd month in the S group. However, aFGF administration protected against this reduction in response with age. These results show that aFGF provides protection against impairment of not only learning and memory but also the DTH immunoreactivity in SAMP8, indicating thereby a close relationship between learning-memory and T cell immune function.

Aging↗

Pharmacologic activation of Δ133p53α reduces cellular senescence in progeria patients-derived cells.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) show accelerated aging phenotypes and have shortened lifespan, with implications in physiological aging processes as well. While therapeutic approaches targeting the disease-causing abnormal protein, progerin, have been developed, further efforts to explore mechanistically distinct and complementary strategies are still critical to better treatment regimens. We previously showed that lentiviral vector-driven expression of Δ133p53α, a natural inhibitory isoform of p53, rescued HGPS patients-derived fibroblasts from early entry into cellular senescence, which is a downstream event of progerin-induced DNA damage. We also performed a quantitative high-throughput screen (qHTS) of approved drug and investigational agent libraries, leading to the identification of celastrol and AZD1981 as compounds that upregulate Δ133p53α protein levels. METHODS: To investigate whether celastrol and ADZ1981 upregulate endogenous Δ133p53α in HGPS-derived fibroblasts and reduce their senescence-associated phenotypes, we performed western blot assays (Δ133p53α, progerin, and p21WAF1, which mediates p53-induced senescence and is inhibited by Δ133p53α), senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IL-6, which is a proinflammatory cytokine secreted from senescent cells), and qRT-PCR assays (p21WAF1 and IL-6). RESULTS: Treatment with celastrol (0.1 μM for 24 h) or AZD1981 (10 μM for 24 h) reproducibly increased Δ133p53α expression and decreased p21WAF1 expression in two strains of fibroblasts derived from HGPS patients. These compounds reduced the percentage of SA-β-gal-positive senescent cells and the secretion of IL-6 into culture medium in both of these fibroblast strains, irrespective of their different basal levels of senescence and IL-6 secretion. These compounds had no effect on the level of progerin. CONCLUSION: Celastrol and ADZ1981 upregulate endogenous Δ133p53α and, reproducing the effects of its vector-driven expression, inhibit cellular senescence and IL-6 secretion in HGPS-derived fibroblasts. Their progerin-independent action suggests that they may synergize with currently available progerin-targeting therapies. This study also warrants further investigation of these compounds for potential applications in other diseases and conditions in which Δ133p53α-regulated senescence plays a role.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome↗

v-FBR-fos oncogene fails to rescue mammalian cells from growth arrest but affects the responses of human fibroblasts to heparin.

The effects of v-fos oncogene on the proliferation of mammalian cells were studied using several approaches. Constitutive overexpression of v-FBR-fos in normal human fibroblasts (MRC-5) and of v-FBR-fos in human chondrocytes (HAC21) failed to immortalise them, extend their in vitro lifespan, increase their growth rates or induce cellular transformation. Further, v-FBR-fos did not render MRC-5 growth factor-independent or alter their responsivenness to serum, but it markedly suppressed their heparin-induced proliferation. A conditionally immortalized, temperature-sensitive rat embryo fibroblast cell line (tsa14) which undergoes growth arrest upon inactivation of a thermolabile SV40 large T antigen by a temperature shift producing a phenotype that mimmicks the senescent phenotype, was also used to study the effects of v-FBR-fos on cell proliferation. Whereas a wild-type SV40 large T antigen rescued tsa14 from a temperature-dependent growth arrest, v-FBR-fos failed to do so. Hence, v-FBR-fos was not sufficient to, at least, complement the tsa14 growth defect. There was no change in the expression of c-jun and junB, members of the AP-1 transcriptional complex in MRC-5v-fos cells. These data show that v-FBR-fos is not sufficient to rescue mammalian cells from senescence but it can affect the responses of human fibroblasts to heparin suggesting a role of fos in cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Age-dependent response of primary human dermal fibroblasts to oxidative stress: cell survival, pro-survival kinases, and entrance into cellular senescence.

A central question in cell biology is how cells become senescent. After a finite number of cell divisions, normal cultured human cells enter a state of irreversible growth arrest, termed "replicative senescence." Alternatively, oxidative stress in the form of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) can render human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) nonproliferative and quiescent, a phenomenon known as stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS). Although critical to the understanding of the pathophysiological basis of many diseases, there is no research to date that has simultaneously examined the interactions between age, oxidative stress, and SIPS. Therefore, the goals of this study were to examine in concert the interactions between these three factors in primary HDFs, and to test our central hypothesis that aging lowers the ability of primary HDFs to respond to oxidative stress. Our data provide, for the first time, evidence that aging dramatically reduces the capacity of primary HDFs to respond to the challenge of hydrogen peroxide. Specifically, aged HDFs showed decreased cell viability, decreased phosphorylation (activation) of pro-survival kinases (Akt and ERK 1/2), and increased entrance into a senescent state when compared with their younger counterparts. Another important conclusion of this study is that blockade of transforming growth factor-beta1 had a pronounced "rescue effect" in the aged, preventing entrance of HDFs into cellular senescence.

Adolescent↗

Prostaglandin production and cellular aging.

Prostaglandin (PG) production by human embryo lung fibroblasts (HELF) is stimulated by a number of effectors including angiotensin, thrombin, bradykinin and ascorbic acid. The types of prostaglandins produced are to a degree effector-dependent. For example, angiotensin stimulates mainly PGE2 synthesis, thrombin stimulates production of both PGE2 and prostacyclin while bradykinin and ascorbic acid stimulate production of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, prostacyclin and thromboxane A2. Upon senescence in culture, prostacyclin (PGI2) production by HELF drops dramatically in response to ascorbic or arachidonic acids. An overall drop in prostaglandin synthesis is observed with bradykinin stimulation. Prostaglandin production is also related to senescence in human skin fibroblasts (HSF). These cells produce predominantly PGI2. Prostacyclin production in response to bradykinin drops in HSF as they are obtained from individuals of increasing chronologic age. Thus our results indicate changes in prostaglandin production upon senescence, a dependency of these changes on the given stimulus and a correlation between in vivo and in culture aging with respect to prostaglandin production.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Induction of DNA polymerase alpha in senescent cultures of normal and Werner's syndrome cultured skin fibroblasts.

DNA polymerase alpha activity was determined following serum stimulation of early and late passages of human diploid fibroblast-like (HDFL) cultures derived from apparently normal donors (two strains) and from a patient with Werner's syndrome (one strain). Induction of this enzyme was observed in both low passage, actively proliferating cultures and in postmitotic "senescent" cultures from all three strains. The maximal polymerase activity of early and late passage cells of each strain were nearly identical when normalized to the number of cells present. However, the activity of the enzyme was observed to be significantly lower in late passage cultures when normalized to total protein content apparently because of enlargement of the senescent cells. The behavior of Werner derived cells was similar to that of the normal cells. The induction of DNA polymerase alpha in senescent cultures indicates that they retain the capacity to carry out some complex metabolic responses to mitogen stimulation. In addition, these results suggest the possibility that dilution of DNA polymerase alpha and/or other DNA replication factors may play a role in the onset or maintenance of the postmitotic state in the enlarged senescent HDFL cells.

Aphidicolin↗

Complementation between senescent human diploid cells and a thymidine kinase-deficient murine cell line.

Active thymidine incorporation was observed in both parental nuclei in heterokaryons derived via polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion of postreplicative "senescent" human diploid fibroblast-like cells and a thymidine kinase-deficient murine cell line (3T3der-4E). Some increase of the 3H-thymidine labeling index was also apparent in infused 3T3der-4E cells so-cultivated with senescent cells, consistent with metabolic cooperation. While no human metaphases could be detected in control hybrid preparations, hybrid metaphase figures containing essentially the entire human complement were demonstrated in the fused cultures as early as 24 h after fusion; the morphology of the human chromosome (bi-armed) suggested that the senescent human cells were stimulated to reinitiate replicative DNA synthesis rather than repair.

Animals↗

Protein maintenance in aging and replicative senescence: a role for the peptide methionine sulfoxide reductases.

Cellular aging is characterized by the build-up of oxidatively modified protein that results, at least in part, from impaired redox homeostasis associated with the aging process. Protein degradation and repair are critical for eliminating oxidized proteins from the cell. Oxidized protein degradation is mainly achieved by the proteasomal system and it is now well established that proteasomal function is generally impaired with age. Specific enzymatic systems have been identified which catalyze the regeneration of cysteine and methionine following oxidation within proteins. Protein-bound methionine sulfoxide diastereoisomers S and R are repaired by the combined action of the enzymes MsrA and MsrB that are subsequently regenerated by thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase. Importantly, the peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase system has been implicated in increased longevity and resistance to oxidative stress in different cell types and model organisms. In a previous study, we reported that peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase activity as well as gene and protein expression of MsrA are decreased in various organs as a function of age. More recently, we have shown that gene expression of both MsrA and MsrB2 (Cbs-1) is decreased during replicative senescence of WI-38 fibroblasts, and this decline is associated with an alteration in catalytic activity and the accumulation of oxidized protein. In this review, we will address the importance of protein maintenance in the aging process as well as in replicative senescence, with a special focus on regulation of the peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase systems.

Aging↗

Werner syndrome and biological ageing: a molecular genetic hypothesis.

Werner syndrome (WS) is an inherited disorder that produces somatic stunting, premature ageing and early onset of degenerative and neoplastic diseases. Cultured fibroblasts derived from subjects with WS are found to undergo premature replicative senescence and thus provide a cellular model system to study the disorder. Recently, several overexpressed gene sequences isolated from a WS fibroblast cDNA library have been shown to possess the capacity to inhibit DNA synthesis and disrupt many normal biochemical processes. Because a similar constellation of genes is overexpressed in WS and senescent normal fibroblasts, these data suggest the existence of a common molecular genetic pathway for replicative senescence in both types of cell. We propose that the primary defect in WS is a mutation in a gene for a trans-acting repressor protein that reduces its binding affinity for shared regulatory regions of several genes, including those that encode inhibitors of DNA synthesis (IDS). The mutant WS repressor triggers a sequence of premature expression of IDS and other genes, with resulting inhibition of DNA synthesis and early cellular senescence, events which occur much later in normal cells.

Aging↗

Protein kinase C delta blocks immediate-early gene expression in senescent cells by inactivating serum response factor.

Fibroblasts lose the ability to replicate in response to growth factors and become unable to express growth-associated immediate-early genes, including c-fos and egr-1, as they become senescent. The serum response factor (SRF), a major transcriptional activator of immediate-early gene promoters, loses the ability to bind to the serum response element (SRE) and becomes hyperphosphorylated in senescent cells. We identify protein kinase C delta (PKC delta) as the kinase responsible for inactivation of SRF both in vitro and endogenously in senescent cells. This is due to a higher level of PKC delta activity as cells age, production of the PKC delta catalytic fragment, and its nuclear localization in senescent but not in low-passage-number cells. The phosphorylation of T160 of SRF by PKC delta in vitro and in vivo led to loss of SRF DNA binding activity. Both the PKC delta inhibitor rottlerin and ectopic expression of a dominant negative form of PKC delta independently restored SRE-dependent transcription and immediate-early gene expression in senescent cells. Modulation of PKC delta activity in vivo with rottlerin or bistratene A altered senescent- and young-cell morphology, respectively. These observations support the idea that the coordinate transcriptional inhibition of several growth-associated genes by PKC delta contributes to the senescent phenotype.

Acetamides↗

The effect of clinical and subclinical concentrations of lead on the in vitro aging of human fibroblasts.

The effect of 20, 40 and 80 micrograms per 100 ml concentrations of lead on the in vitro senescence of fetal human diploid fibroblasts IMR-90 was determined. The areas and dry mass of the cell, nucleus and nucleolus were measured at early, middle and late passages. There was a decrease in total population doublings as the concentration of lead in the medium was increased. Although there was a decrease in the number of nucleoli per cell with successive doublings, there was no difference between controls and lead-treated cells. There was an increase in nucleolar dry mass as the cells aged and this was most noticeable in the 40- and 80-micrograms groups. There were no noteworthy changes in nuclear and cellular areas and dry mass with respect to lead treatment. The results are discussed and it is concluded that even subclinical concentrations of lead cause an acceleration of cellular aging in vitro.

Cell Division↗

Tumor suppression at the mouse INK4a locus mediated by the alternative reading frame product p19ARF.

The INK4a tumor suppressor locus encodes p16INK4a, an inhibitor of cyclin D-dependent kinases, and p19ARF, an alternative reading frame protein that also blocks cell proliferation. Surprisingly, mice lacking p19ARF but expressing functional p16INK4a develop tumors early in life. Their embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) do not senesce and are transformed by oncogenic Ha-ras alone. Conversion of ARF+/+ or ARF+/- MEF strains to continuously proliferating cell lines involves loss of either p19ARF or p53. p53-mediated checkpoint control is unperturbed in ARF-null fibroblast strains, whereas p53-negative cell lines are resistant to p19ARF-induced growth arrest. Therefore, INK4a encodes growth inhibitory proteins that act upstream of the retinoblastoma protein and p53. Mutations and deletions targeting this locus in cancer cells are unlikely to be functionally equivalent.

3T3 Cells↗

[pRB, p53, p16INK4a, senescence and malignant transformation].

Recent works aimed at clarifying the respective roles of p16INKa and p14ARF (both located on the same INK4a locus on chromosome 9p21 in man) in malignant transformation come to the conclusion that p16INK4a is the true tumor suppressor gene in man. In mouse, it is the p19ARF knockout that suppresses the barrier protecting cells from malignant transformation. This situation is in agreement with p19ARF- and p16-mediated senescence induced by oncogenic mutated ras (Ras*) in mouse and man respectively. Other results have shown that senescence in human diploid fibroblasts is associated with heterochromatin occurrence that maintains in repressed state E2F1-induced gens required for G1 to S phases transition. Since RB protein is responsible for this chromatin modification, cells with any impaired RB pathway cannot enter into senescence.

Animals↗

Prolonged culture of telomerase-immortalized human fibroblasts leads to a premalignant phenotype.

Telomere shortening in primary human fibroblasts results in replicative senescence, which can be overcome by telomerase (hTERT) overexpression. However, because immortalization is one of the hallmarks of malignant transformation, careful analysis of hTERT-immortalized cells is of crucial importance for understanding both processes. To this end, we infected WI-38 fibroblasts with a retrovirus carrying the hTERT cDNA and analyzed their proliferative behavior during 600 days [ approximately 500 population doublings (PDLs)] of continuous culture. Growth of three independent mass cultures was uniform for approximately 150 PDLs after telomerase infection, followed by a progressive acceleration of growth in two of three cultures. Expression of p16(INK4A) was significantly elevated in the immortalized cells but gradually disappeared during the accelerated growth phase. This alteration correlated with loss of the contact inhibition response and conferred the cells with sensitivity to H-Ras-induced transformation. In contrast, the p53- and pRb-mediated checkpoints such as the DNA damage response, chromosomal stability and entry into quiescence remained intact, irrespective of INK4A locus expression. Importantly, detailed examination of one of the WI-38/hTERT cultures during the accelerated growth phase revealed overexpression of the c-myc and Bmi-1 oncogenes, as well as loss of p14(ARF) expression. Collectively, our results indicate that although hTERT-immortalized cells behave similarly to primary cells during the first 150 PDLs, long-term growth in culture may favor the appearance of clones carrying potentially malignant alterations.

Cell Division↗