Down-regulation of Wild-type p53-induced Phosphatase 1 (Wip1) Plays a Critical Role in Regulating Several p53-dependent Functions in Premature Senescent Tumor Cells

Premature or drug-induced senescence is a major cellular response to chemotherapy in solid tumors. The senescent phenotype develops slowly and is associated with chronic DNA damage response. We found that expression of wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) is markedly down-regulated during persistent DNA damage and after drug release during the acquisition of the senescent phenotype in carcinoma cells. We demonstrate that down-regulation of Wip1 is required for maintenance of permanent G₂ arrest. In fact, we show that forced expression of Wip1 in premature senescent tumor cells induces inappropriate re-initiation of mitosis, uncontrolled polyploid progression, and cell death by mitotic failure. Most of the effects of Wip1 may be attributed to its ability to dephosphorylate p53 at Ser¹⁵ and to inhibit DNA damage response. However, we also uncover a regulatory pathway whereby suppression of p53 Ser¹⁵ phosphorylation is associated with enhanced phosphorylation at Ser⁴⁶, increased p53 protein levels, and induction of Noxa expression. On the whole, our data indicate that down-regulation of Wip1 expression during premature senescence plays a pivotal role in regulating several p53-dependent aspects of the senescent phenotype.     

TRPC1: Getting physical in space

We tested a hypothesis that activation of growth-promoting pathways is required for cellular senescence. In the presence of serum, induction of p21 caused senescence, characterized by beta-Galactosidase staining, cell hypertrophy, increased levels of cyclin D1 and active TOR (target of rapamycin, also known as mTOR). Serum starvation and rapamycin inhibited TOR and prevented the expression of some senescent markers, despite high levels of p21 and cell cycle arrest. In the presence of serum, p21-arrested cells irreversibly lost proliferative potential. In contrast, when cells were arrested by p21 in the absence of serum, they retained the capacity to resume proliferation upon termination of p21 induction. In normal human cells such as WI38 fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, serum starvation caused quiescence, which was associated with low levels of cyclin D1, inactive TOR and slim-cell morphology. In contrast, cellular senescence with high levels of TOR activity was induced by doxorubicin (DOX), a DNA damaging agent, in the presence of serum. Inhibition of TOR partially prevented senescent phenotype caused by DOX. Thus growth stimulation coupled with cell cycle arrest leads to senescence, whereas quiescence (a condition with inactive TOR) prevents senescence.     

Pseudo-DNA damage response in senescent cells

Cellular senescence is currently viewed as a response to DNA damage. In this report, we showed that non-damaging agents such as sodium butyrate-induced p21 and ectopic expression of either p21 or p16 cause cellular senescence without detectable DNA breaks. Nevertheless, senescent cells displayed components of DNA damage response (DDR) such as γH2AX foci and uniform nuclear staining for p-ATM. Importantly, there was no accumulation of 53BP1 in γH2AX foci of senescent cells. Consistently, comet assay failed to detect DNA damage. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, which was shown to suppress cellular senescence, decreased γH2AX foci formation. Thus, cellular senescence leads to activation of atypical DDR without detectable DNA damage. Pseudo-DDR may be a marker of general over-activation of senescent cells.     

腺病毒介导的p33ING1b过表达显著促进衰老细胞的DNA损伤修复

p33^ING1b是一个较晚发现的肿瘤抑制基因ING1的主要表达形式,自从被成功克隆以后得到了广泛的研究,已有的研究表明,p33^ING1b参与了细胞的生长抑制、凋亡、染色质重塑、DNA损伤修复、肿瘤抑制和细胞衰老等。但是它在细胞衰老过程中的作用特别是对衰老细胞DNA损伤修复的影响还没有被地阐明,在本研究中,我们首先用2BS细胞构建了细胞衰老模型,通过RT-PCR和Western blot技术证实p33^ING1b在衰老细胞中的表达水平是下调的,然后通过构建和包装包含p33^ING1b基因的腺病毒,将p33^ING1b导入年轻和衰老细胞中并使其过表达,用HCR（host cell reactivation）方法检测年轻细胞和衰老细胞DNA损伤修复能力。我们的实验首次表明,相对于年轻细胞,p33^ING1b的过表达使衰老细胞的DNA的损伤修复能力显著增加,这说明p33^ING1b在衰老细胞中的表达下调与衰老细胞DNA损伤修复能力的下降有关,也进一步证实了p33^ING1b在细胞衰老过程中起着十分重要的作用。     

Mitochondrial DNA damage induces apoptosis in senescent cells

Senescence is a cellular response to damage and stress. The senescence response prevents cancer by suppressing the proliferation of cells with a compromised genome and contributes to optimal wound healing in normal tissues. Persistent senescent cells are also thought to drive aging and age-associated pathologies through their secretion of inflammatory factors that modify the tissue microenvironment and alter the function of nearby normal or transformed cells. Understanding how senescent cells alter the microenvironment would be aided by the ability to induce or eliminate senescent cells at will in vivo. Here, we combine the use of the synthetic nucleoside analog ganciclovir (GCV) with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) activity to create or eliminate senescent human cells. We show that low concentrations of GCV induce senescence through the accumulation of nuclear DNA damage while higher concentrations of GCV, similar to those used in vivo, kill non-dividing senescent cells via mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Using this system, we effectively eliminated xenografted normal human senescent fibroblasts or induced senescence in human breast cancer cells in vivo. Thus, cellular senescence and mtDNA damage are outcomes of synthetic nucleoside analog treatment, indicating that the GCV–HSVtk combination can be used effectively to promote the targeted formation or eradication of senescent cells.     

CCN2 induces cellular senescence in fibroblasts

The expression of Ccn2 (CTGF) has been linked to fibrosis in many tissues and pathologies, although its activities in fibroblastic cells and precise mechanism of action in fibrogenesis are still controversial. Here, we showed that CCN2 can induce cellular senescence in fibroblasts both in vitro and in vivo, whereupon senescent cells express an anti-fibrotic “senescence-associated secretory phenotype” (SASP) that includes upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases and downregulation of collagen. Mechanistically, CCN2 induces fibroblast senescence through integrin α₆β₁-mediated accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to activation of p53 and induction of p16^INK4a. In cutaneous wound healing, Ccn2 expression is highly elevated only during the initial inflammatory phase and quickly declines thereafter to a low level during the proliferation and maturation phases of healing when myofibroblasts play a major role. Consistent with this expression kinetics, knockdown of Ccn2 has little effect on the rate of wound closure, formation of senescent cells, or collagen content of the wounds. However, application of purified CCN2 protein on cutaneous wounds leads to induction of senescent cells, expression of SASP, and reduction of collagen content. These results show that CCN2 can induce cellular senescence in fibroblasts and is capable of exerting an anti-fibrotic effect in a context-dependent manner.     

Elimination of p19ARF‐expressing cells protects against pulmonary emphysema in mice

Senescent cells accumulate in tissues during aging and are considered to underlie several aging‐associated phenotypes and diseases. We recently reported that the elimination of p19^ARF‐expressing senescent cells from lung tissue restored tissue function and gene expression in middle‐aged (12‐month‐old) mice. The aging of lung tissue increases the risk of pulmonary diseases such as emphysema, and cellular senescence is accelerated in emphysema patients. However, there is currently no direct evidence to show that cellular senescence promotes the pathology of emphysema, and the involvement of senescence in the development of this disease has yet to be clarified. We herein demonstrated that p19^ARF facilitated the development of pulmonary emphysema in mice. The elimination of p19^ARF‐expressing cells prevented lung tissue from elastase‐induced lung dysfunction. These effects appeared to depend on reduced pulmonary inflammation, which is enhanced after elastase stimulation. Furthermore, the administration of a senolytic drug that selectively kills senescent cells attenuated emphysema‐associated pathologies. These results strongly suggest the potential of senescent cells as therapeutic/preventive targets for pulmonary emphysema.     

Reduction of lamin B receptor levels by miR-340-5p disrupts chromatin,promotes cell senescence and enhances senolysis

A major stress response influenced by microRNAs (miRNAs) is senescence, a state of indefinite growth arrest triggered by sublethal cell damage. Here, through bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation, we identified miR-340-5p as a novel miRNA that foments cellular senescence. miR-340-5p was highly abundant in diverse senescence models, and miR-340-5p overexpression in proliferating cells rendered them senescent. Among the target mRNAs, miR-340-5p prominently reduced the levels of LBR mRNA, encoding lamin B receptor (LBR). Loss of LBR by ectopic overexpression of miR-340-5p derepressed heterochromatin in lamina-associated domains, promoting the expression of DNA repetitive elements characteristic of senescence. Importantly, overexpressing miR-340-5p enhanced cellular sensitivity to senolytic compounds, while antagonization of miR-340-5p reduced senescent cell markers and engendered resistance to senolytic-induced cell death. We propose that miR-340-5p can be exploited for removing senescent cells to restore tissue homeostasis and mitigate damage by senescent cells in pathologies of human aging.     

p21 maintains senescent cell viability under persistent DNA damage response by restraining JNK and caspase signaling

Cellular senescence is a permanent state of cell cycle arrest that protects the organism from tumorigenesis and regulates tissue integrity upon damage and during tissue remodeling. However, accumulation of senescent cells in tissues during aging contributes to age‐related pathologies. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating the viability of senescent cells is therefore required. Here, we show that the CDK inhibitor p21 (CDKN1A) maintains the viability of DNA damage‐induced senescent cells. Upon p21 knockdown, senescent cells acquired multiple DNA lesions that activated ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and nuclear factor (NF)‐κB kinase, leading to decreased cell survival. NF‐κB activation induced TNF‐α secretion and JNK activation to mediate death of senescent cells in a caspase‐ and JNK‐dependent manner. Notably, p21 knockout in mice eliminated liver senescent stellate cells and alleviated liver fibrosis and collagen production. These findings define a novel pathway that regulates senescent cell viability and fibrosis.     

Residual Cdk1/2 activity after DNA damage promotes senescence

In response to DNA damage, a cell can be forced to permanently exit the cell cycle and become senescent. Senescence provides an early barrier against tumor development by preventing proliferation of cells with damaged DNA. By studying single cells, we show that Cdk activity persists after DNA damage until terminal cell cycle exit. This low level of Cdk activity not only allows cell cycle progression, but also promotes cell cycle exit at a decision point in G2 phase. We find that residual Cdk1/2 activity is required for efficient p21 production, allowing for nuclear sequestration of Cyclin B1, subsequent APC/C^Cdh1‐dependent degradation of mitotic inducers and induction of senescence. We suggest that the same activity that triggers mitosis in an unperturbed cell cycle enforces senescence in the presence of DNA damage, ensuring a robust response when most needed.     

Reduction of UV-induced cell death in the human senescent fibroblasts

We studied mechanisms by which senescent cells acquire resistance to UV-induced cellular insults. Human primary foreskin fibroblast culture was used since it undergoes cellular senescence in vitro after a limited number of passages. Senescence was induced by a brief treatment of the early passage cells with 100 microM of H2O2 for 1 h, and subsequent culture for 3 weeks. Hydrogen peroxide-treated cells showed an enhancement of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity. In the senescent cells, DNA fragmentation in response to UV-irradiation was found to decrease significantly compared with that in the young cells. The SAPK/JNK activation by UV irradiation was reduced in both non-treated senescent cells and the hydrogen peroxide-induced senescent cells, suggesting that a reduced DNA fragmentation by UV-irradiation in the senescent cells is closely related to the decreased SAPK/JNK activity. Since a cell cycle inhibitor, p21Waf1, has been implicated in protecting cells against apoptotic cell death, we determined p21Waf1 to assess whether its elevation has any impact on the reduction of UV-induced activation of SAPK/JNK in the senescent cells. The expression of p21Waf1 increased in both the nontreated and the hydrogen peroxide-treated senescent cells. Our study also revealed that the blockage of SAPK/JNK activation in the senescent cells was closely related to the increased level of p21Waf1. Our observation might provide clues about molecular mechanism of resistance to DNA fragmentation and the consequent cell death by UV-irradiation.     

Cellular senescence and the myth of Janus

Cellular senescence is, essentially, a permanent proliferation arrest induced by various cellular stresses or inappropriate stimuli. This arrest, which is associated with dramatic changes in cell morphology, metabolism and gene expression, involves a complex signalling network aiming at stable inactivation of CDKs, major cell cycle regulators. Notably, several tumour suppressors, such as p53, pRb or p16(Ink4a), play key roles both in the initiation of the senescence program and in its maintenance, which often involves epigenetic changes. While having widely recognized roles in tumour suppression and wound healing, senescence, like the roman god Janus, recently revealed another darker face. Mostly due to altered secretion phenotype favouring inflammation, senescent cells strongly influence surrounding tissue contributing to the development of age-related pathologies, including cancer.     

Restoration of senescent human diploid fibroblasts by modulation of the extracellular matrix

Human diploid fibroblasts have the capacity to complete a finite number of cell divisions before entering a state of replicative senescence characterized by growth arrest, changes in morphology, and altered gene expression. Herein, we report that interaction with extracellular matrix (ECM) from young cells is sufficient to restore aged, senescent cells to an apparently youthful state. The identity of the restored cells as having been derived from senescent cells has been confirmed by a variety of methods, including time lapse live cell imaging and DNA finger print analysis. In addition to cell morphology, phenotypic restoration was assessed by resumption of proliferative potential, growth factor responsiveness, reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, recovery of mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased telomere length. Mechanistically, we find that both Ku and SIRT1 are induced during restoration and are required for senescent cells to return to a youthful phenotype. These observations demonstrate that human cellular senescence is profoundly influenced by cues from the ECM, and that senescent cell plasticity is much greater than that was previously believed to be the case.     

Cellular senescence induced by cathepsin X downregulation

Cellular senescence represents a powerful tumor suppressor mechanism to prevent proliferation and invasion of malignant cells. Since tumor cells as well as primary fibroblasts lacking the lysosomal cysteine-type carboxypeptidase cathepsin X exhibit a reduced invasive capacity, we hypothesized that the underlying reason may be the induction of cellular senescence. To investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to diminished migration/invasion of cathepsin X-deficient cells, we have analyzed murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) derived from cathepsin X-deficient mice and neonatal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) transfected with siRNAs targeting cathepsin X. Remarkably, both cell types exhibited a flattened and enlarged cell body, a characteristic phenotype of senescent cells. Additional evidence for accelerated senescence was obtained by detection of the common senescence marker β-galactosidase. Further examination revealed increased expression levels of senescence-associated genes such as p16, p21, p53, and caveolin in these cells along with a reduced proliferation rate. The accelerated cellular senescence induced by cathepsin X deficiency was rescued by simultaneous expression of exogenous cathepsin X. Finally, cell cycle analysis confirmed a marked reduction of the synthesis rate and prolongation of the S-phase, while susceptibility to apoptosis of cathepsin X-deficient cells remained unchanged. In conclusion, cathepsin X deficiency leads to accelerated cellular senescence and consequently to diminished cellular proliferation and migration/invasion implying a potential role of cathepsin X in bypassing cellular senescence.