细胞周期抑制因子p16可诱导人成纤维细胞发生衰老样变化

目的 探讨细胞周期抑制因子p16在细胞衰老中的作用。方法 利用逆转录病毒载体将p16基因转染入人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞2BS中,获得高表达,检测其对2BS细胞衰老的影响。结果 与对照组细胞相比,p16基因转染后,2BS细胞生长速度下降了约50％,细胞周期阻滞于G1期,细胞对生长因子刺激的反应性下降了79．4％,细胞形态呈衰老细胞样变化。结论 p16在人二倍体成纤维细胞的衰老过程中起促进作用。     

p16基因甲基化在人二倍体成纤维细胞衰老中的作用

目的 研究DNA甲基化与衰老细胞中细胞周期负调控因子p16^MTS1/INK4a高表达的关系。方法 应用甲基化敏感的DNA限制性内切酶与PCR相结合的方法,分析特定位点的甲基化状态。结果 人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞衰老过程中p16基因表达增高,中年细胞与衰老细胞中p16基因的表达水平分别约为年轻细胞的3倍和10倍。p16基因外显子Ⅰ限制性内切酶SmaⅠ位点的甲基化水平则表现出随增龄而降低的趋势,在年轻细胞、中年细胞中分别约为64％和41％,虽然在衰老细胞中仅为24％,但仍保持一定的水平。结论 p16基因外显子Ⅰ的SmaⅠ位点的甲基化水平改变可能与其在衰老过程中的高表达有一定的关联,其重要性值得进一步研究。     

抑制性消减杂交筛选细胞衰老相关基因

目的 研究人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞2BS在衰老过程中的基因表达变化。方法 对年轻2BS细胞[低于30PD(population doubling)]和衰老2BS细胞(高于55PD)样品进行双向抑制性消减杂交，并筛选分析。结果 构建了2个抑制性消减文库，分别代表年轻细胞和衰老细胞高表达基因，点杂交筛选获得30个差异表达片断(差异比例大于2)包含多种细胞功能的变化。部分差异基因表达在新生儿脐带血和老年人外周血样中差异也有显著性。结论首次报道了RBM4、FBXO7、TOM1等基因在2BS细胞衰老时的表达变化，并表明体外培养细胞与个体的衰老变化过程有一定相似性。     

人胚肺成纤维细胞复制性衰老的基因表达变化

目的检测人胚肺成纤维细胞(2BS细胞)复制性衰老过程中的基因表达变化,并试图寻找细胞衰老的标志性基因。方法利用cDNA芯片对比检测28代龄和64代龄的2BS细胞基因表达谱,通过RT-PCR对挑选的9个差异基因在7个不同代龄2BS细胞中的表达进行验证分析。结果和年轻细胞相比,衰老2BS细胞有117种基因的变化幅度在2倍以上,46种基因在2.5倍以上;细胞衰老过程中下调的基因主要是细胞周期相关基因,上调基因主要参与细胞应激反应和蛋白分泌等过程;9个差异基因的RT-PCR验证结果与芯片结果基本一致。结论基因芯片是研究细胞衰老基因表达和调控网络的重要工具,可用于衰老特征性基因的筛选。     

应用同位素双标记法测定人二倍体细胞的DNA修复功能

自Hayflick证明了人胚肺二倍体细胞可以作为体外衰老的模型以来,有关细胞的遗传稳定性与衰老之间关系的研究引起了许多研究者的注意。本研究应用同位素双标记法与单标记法比较,探讨由化学诱变剂MMC诱导的DNA损伤(UDS)与衰老细胞的修复能力之间的关系。 对象和方法 一、对象 人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞(HELF2BS)由北京生物制品所提供,在本实验室条     

生长抑制DNA损伤基因45的功能及其作用

许多内源性和外源性的损伤因素均能导致DNA损伤,如活性氧、紫外线辐射、电离辐射、化学致癌药物及烷化剂等.哺乳动物细胞对于致DNA损伤因素的各种刺激会产生一系列应答反应,如细胞周期抑制、DNA修复、DNA去甲基化、细胞生存和细胞凋亡等.生长抑制DNA损伤基因45(Gadd45)在DNA损伤诱导的细胞应答反应中发挥重要作用.细胞内、外环境的多种因素在转录水平、翻译后水平等多个层次对Gadd45进行精确调节.Gadd45家族蛋白与年龄相关疾病、寿命及老化相关.     

大黄素通过p53途径抑制血管平滑肌细胞增殖的实验研究

目的探讨p53途径在大黄素抑制血管平滑肌细胞增殖作用中的地位。方法通过细胞计数、老化相关β-半乳糖苷酶染色、Annexin V标记等方法观察大黄素抑制血管平滑肌细胞增殖的特点。^3H-胸苷掺入法测定DNA合成、流式细胞仪了解细胞周期变化、Western blot检测p53蛋白表达变化、基因芯片观察mRNA表达水平。结果（1）1．6～3．1μg／ml大黄素延缓细胞生长,6．3～12．5μg／ml大黄素促进细胞老化,25．0μg／ml大黄素则可显著诱导细胞凋亡。（2）大黄素干预24h后,出现非计划性DNA合成现象,这是DNA损伤的敏感性标志。p53基因和蛋白表达水平呈大黄素浓度依赖性上调。除了细胞增殖基因表达下调,其他基因表达均上调,如细胞老化基因、细胞凋亡基因、DNA损伤修复基因。（3）大黄素能够迅速渗透进入细胞,在细胞内的分布具有明显的选择性,绝大多数以颗粒形态分布于细胞胞浆中,细胞核中也有少量分布。结论大黄素通过损伤DNA激活p53途径。随着大黄素浓度升高,p53途径激活程度也随之增强并产生多种细胞增殖抑制效应,即生长停滞、细胞老化和细胞凋亡。     

不同鼠龄小鼠脾细胞对过氧化氢诱导DNA损伤的修复能力

目的观察青年鼠和老年鼠脾细胞对过氧化氢(H2O2)诱导DNA损伤的修复能力的差异。方法通过S1核酸酶消化实验,对比分析两组小鼠脾细胞在H2O2刺激前后单链DNA的比例及修复程度。通过非程序性DNA合成(UDS)实验观察脾细胞在H2O2刺激后的切除修复水平。结果两组小鼠脾细胞的单链DNA含量与处理前相比均有明显提高,但修复后,青年鼠单链DNA含量的下降比例(13.4%)显著大于老年鼠(6.8%)(P<0.05)。UDS实验表明,两组小鼠均在DNA损伤大约12 h后达到修复高峰,但老年鼠的绝对修复水平大约只有青年鼠的1/3(P<0.01)。结论青年鼠和老年鼠脾细胞对H2O2刺激具有类似的敏感性,但DNA的修复能力随小鼠的增龄显著降低。H2O2通过加速DNA损伤的积累从而促进细胞衰老。     

双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸延缓细胞衰老的作用机制

目的 探讨双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸(Lipoteichoic acid,LTA)在延缓H2O2诱导细胞衰老中的作用.方法 H2O2诱导WI-38细胞衰老,β-半乳糖苷酶细胞化学染色计算衰老细胞百分率变化,RT-PCR和Western印迹检测衰老细胞p21、细胞周期蛋白E(cyclin E)和周期蛋白依赖性蛋白激酶2(CDK2)表达水平的变化.结果 双歧杆菌LTA处理后,β-半乳糖苷酶细胞化学染色阳性细胞百分率较衰老模型组降低(P＜0.01).与年轻对照组相比,衰老模型组细胞中p21的表达增高,cyclin E和CDK2表达降低,而双歧杆菌LTA能够逆转上述变化(P＜0.01).结论 双歧杆菌能延缓H2O2诱导的细胞衰老,机制可能与改变p21,cyclin E和CDK2表达水平有关.     

增龄大鼠心肌线粒体DNA损伤及DNA修复酶γ表达的变化

目的:探讨大鼠增龄过程中心肌组织DNA损伤和DNA修复酶表达的变化。方法:从不同月龄的大鼠心肌组织中提取DNA、RNA及蛋白。采用定量多聚酶链反应(Q-PCR)检测心肌DNA损伤;用RT-PCR和Western blot检测DNA修复酶γ(Polγ)表达的变化。用ELISA法检测DNA内8羟基脱氧鸟苷(8-OHdG)的水平。结果:随着鼠龄的增长,大鼠心肌组织中核DNA(nDNA)损伤不明显,线粒体DNA(mtDNA)损伤严重,DNA内8-OHdG的水平增加,Polγ的表达下降。结论:随着鼠龄的增长,大鼠心肌组织中DNA修复酶Polγ的表达下降,mtDNA损伤增加。DNA损伤与DNA修复能力下降间会引起恶性循环,最终可导致DNA损伤的增加加快心脏衰老。     

The comet assay approach to senescent human diploid fibroblasts identifies different phenotypes and clarifies relationships among nuclear size, DNA content, and DNA damage

The comet assay methodology was used to monitor nuclear changes occurring in MRC5 human fibroblasts during transition from young to senescent cultures and to study heterogeneity of senescent populations. Nuclear morphology and size, DNA content per nucleus, and DNA damage (basal strand break, total damage, and oxidized base levels) were evaluated; moreover, visually identified large and small nuclei were analyzed separately and arranged in classes of increasing DNA damage. Oxidized base levels were definitely lower in young versus senescent fibroblasts of which, however, a significant proportion showed negligible DNA damage. Nuclear size enlargement accompanying senescence was almost equally influenced by cell ploidy increase and also by a chromatin decondensation process involving diploid cells. It is noteworthy that DNA damage in senescent fibroblasts correlated significantly to nuclear size, but not to DNA content. The comet assay allowed us to identify different senescent phenotypes and to investigate changes in nuclear features and/or DNA damage irrespective of time elapsed in culture.     

Dual inactivation of Hus1 and p53 in the mouse mammary gland results in accumulation of damaged cells and impaired tissue regeneration

In response to DNA damage, checkpoint proteins halt cell cycle progression and promote repair or apoptosis, thereby preventing mutation accumulation and suppressing tumor development. The DNA damage checkpoint protein Hus1 associates with Rad9 and Rad1 to form the 9-1-1 complex, which localizes to DNA lesions and promotes DNA damage signaling and repair. Because complete inactivation of mouse Hus1 results in embryonic lethality, we developed a system for regulated Hus1 inactivation in the mammary gland to examine roles for Hus1 in tissue homeostasis and tumor suppression. Hus1 inactivation in the mammary epithelium resulted in genome damage that induced apoptosis and led to depletion of Hus1-null cells from the mammary gland. Conditional Hus1 knockout females retained grossly normal mammary gland morphology, suggesting compensation by cells that failed to undergo Cre-mediated Hus1 deletion. p53-deficiency delayed the clearance of Hus1-null cells from conditional Hus1 knockout mice and caused the accumulation of damaged, dying cells in the mammary gland. Notably, compensatory responses were impaired following combined Hus1 and p53 loss, resulting in aberrant mammary gland morphology and lactation defects. Overall, these results establish a requirement for Hus1 in the survival and proliferation of mammary epithelium and identify a role for p53 in mammary gland tissue regeneration and homeostasis.     

Cell fate decision mediated by p53 pulses

The tumor suppressor p53 plays a crucial role in cellular response to various stresses. Recent experiments have shown that p53 level exhibits a series of pulses after DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation (IR). However, how the p53 pulses govern cell survival and death remains unclear. Here, we develop an integrated model with four modules for the p53 network and explore the mechanism for cell fate decision based on the dynamics of the network. By numerical simulations, the following processes are characterized. First, DNA repair proteins bind to IR-induced double-strand breaks, forming complexes, which are then detected by ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM). Activated ATM initiates the p53 oscillator to produce pulses. Consequently, the target genes of p53 are selectively induced to control cell fate. We propose that p53 promotes the repair of minor DNA damage but suppresses the repair of severe damage. We demonstrate that cell fate is determined by the number of p53 pulses relying on the extent of DNA damage. At low damage levels, few p53 pulses evoke cell cycle arrest by inducing p21 and promote cell survival, whereas at high damage levels, sustained p53 pulses trigger apoptosis by inducing p53AIP1. We find that p53 can effectively maintain genomic integrity by regulating the efficiency and fidelity of DNA repair. We also show that stochasticity in the generation and repair of DNA damage leads to variability in cell fate. These findings are consistent with experimental observations and advance our understanding of the dynamics and functions of the p53 network.     

Ribonucleotide reduction is a cytosolic process in mammalian cells independently of DNA damage

Ribonucleotide reductase provides deoxynucleotides for nuclear and mitochondrial (mt) DNA replication and repair. The mammalian enzyme consists of a catalytic (R1) and a radical-generating (R2 or p53R2) subunit. During S-phase, a R1/R2 complex is the major provider of deoxynucleotides. p53R2 is induced by p53 after DNA damage and was proposed to supply deoxynucleotides for DNA repair after translocating from the cytosol to the cell nucleus. Similarly R1 and R2 were claimed to move to the nucleus during S-phase to provide deoxynucleotides for DNA replication. These models suggest translocation of ribonucleotide reductase subunits as a regulatory mechanism. In quiescent cells that are devoid of R2, R1/p53R2 synthesizes deoxynucleotides also in the absence of DNA damage. Mutations in human p53R2 cause severe mitochondrial DNA depletion demonstrating a vital function for p53R2 different from DNA repair and cast doubt on a nuclear localization of the protein. Here we use three independent methods to localize R1, R2, and p53R2 in fibroblasts during cell proliferation and after DNA damage: Western blotting after separation of cytosol and nuclei; immunofluorescence in intact cells; and transfection with proteins carrying fluorescent tags. We thoroughly validate each method, especially the specificity of antibodies. We find in all cases that ribonucleotide reductase resides in the cytosol suggesting that the deoxynucleotides produced by the enzyme diffuse into the nucleus or are transported into mitochondria and supporting a primary function of p53R2 for mitochondrial DNA replication.     

Replicative senescence in sheep fibroblasts is a p53 dependent process

Studies on telomere and telomerase biology are fundamental to the understanding of human ageing, and age-related diseases such as cancer. However, human studies are hampered by the lack of fully reflective animal model systems. Here we describe basic studies of telomere length and telomerase activity in sheep tissues and cells. Terminal restriction fragment lengths from sheep tissues ranged from 9 to 23 kb, with telomerase activity present in testis but suppressed in somatic tissues. Sheep fibroblasts had a finite lifespan in culture, after which the cells entered senescence. During in vitro growth the mean terminal restriction fragment lengths decreased in size at a rate of 210 and 350 bp per population doubling (PD). Senescent skin fibroblasts had increased levels of p53 and p21WAF1 compared to young cells. Incubation of senescent cells with siRNA duplexes specific for p53 suppressed p53 expression and allowed the cells to re-enter the cell cycle. Five PDs beyond senescence the siRNA-treated cells reached a second proliferative barrier. This study shows that telomere biology in sheep is similar to that in humans, with senescence in sheep GM03550 fibroblasts being a telomere-driven, p53-(p21WAF1)-dependent process. Therefore sheep may represent an alternative model system for studying telomere biology, replicative senescence, and by implication human ageing.     

Hypoxia suppresses conversion from proliferative arrest to cellular senescence

Unlike reversible quiescence, cellular senescence is characterized by a large flat cell morphology, β-gal staining and irreversible loss of regenerative (i.e., replicative) potential. Conversion from proliferative arrest to irreversible senescence, a process named geroconversion, is driven in part by growth-promoting pathways such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). During cell cycle arrest, mTOR converts reversible arrest into senescence. Inhibitors of mTOR can suppress geroconversion, maintaining quiescence instead. It was shown that hypoxia inhibits mTOR. Therefore, we suggest that hypoxia may suppress geroconversion. Here we tested this hypothesis. In HT-p21-9 cells, expression of inducible p21 caused cell cycle arrest without inhibiting mTOR, leading to senescence. Hypoxia did not prevent p21 induction and proliferative arrest, but instead inhibited the mTOR pathway and geroconversion. Exposure to hypoxia during p21 induction prevented senescent morphology and loss of regenerative potential, thus maintaining reversible quiescence so cells could restart proliferation after switching p21 off. Suppression of geroconversion was p53- and HIF-1-independent, as hypoxia also suppressed geroconversion in cells lacking functional p53 and HIF-1α. Also, in normal fibroblasts and retinal cells, hypoxia inhibited the mTOR pathway and suppressed senescence caused by etoposide without affecting DNA damage response, p53/p21 induction and cell cycle arrest. Also hypoxia suppressed geroconversion in cells treated with nutlin-3a, a nongenotoxic inducer of p53, in cell lines susceptible to nutlin-3a-induced senescence (MEL-10, A172, and NKE). Thus, in normal and cancer cell lines, hypoxia suppresses geroconversion caused by diverse stimuli. Physiological and clinical implications of the present findings are discussed.     

Chromosomal telomere attrition as a mechanism for the increased risk of epithelial cancers and senescent phenotypes in type 2 diabetes

Telomeres are the repeat DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes necessary for successful DNA replication and chromosomal integrity. Telomeres shorten at cell division at a rate determined by oxidative DNA damage, and cells are triggered into replicative senescence once telomeres shorten to a critical length. Telomere-related chromosomal maintenance also has a role in carcinogenesis. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by increased oxidative stress, increased oxidative DNA damage, senescent retinal and renal phenotypes, and an increased risk of epithelial malignancy. We suggest that increased oxidative DNA damage and telomere attrition in type 2 diabetes leads to: (1) carcinogenic telomere-dependent chromosomal non-reciprocal translocations, genomic instability, and the development of epithelial cancers; (2) senescent retinal and renal phenotypes (expressed as diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy); and (3) senescent vascular endothelial, monocyte-macrophage and vascular smooth muscle cells (expressed as endothelial dysfunction and accelerated atherogenesis). An adverse intrauterine environment leads to increased feto-placental oxidative stress and feto-placental oxidative DNA damage. We also suggest that intrauterine oxidative DNA damage and telomere shortening is another point at which increased oxidative stress could contribute to a pre-programmed increased risk of senescent phenotypes in adult offspring, characterised by type 2 diabetes and epithelial malignancy. These suggestions can be used to understand early glucose intolerance in the young children of type 1 diabetes pregnancies, poor cancer outcomes in type 2 diabetes, beta cell fatigue in type 2 diabetes and the absence of increased epithelial cancer risk in type 1 diabetes.