Ink4a/Arf expression is a biomarker of aging Krishnamurthy, Janakiraman; Torrice, Chad; Ramsey, Matthew R. ...
The Journal of clinical investigation,
11/2004, Volume:
114, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Ink4a/Arf expression is a biomarker of aging Krishnamurthy, Janakiraman; Torrice, Chad; Ramsey, Matthew R ...
The Journal of clinical investigation
114, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The Ink4a/Arf locus encodes 2 tumor suppressor molecules, p16INK4a and Arf, which are principal mediators of cellular senescence. To study the links between senescence and aging in vivo, we examined ...Ink4a/Arf expression in rodent models of aging. We show that expression of p16INK4a and Arf markedly increases in almost all rodent tissues with advancing age, while there is little or no change in the expression of other related cell cycle inhibitors. The increase in expression is restricted to well-defined compartments within each organ studied and occurs in both epithelial and stromal cells of diverse lineages. The age-associated increase in expression of p16INK4a and Arf is attenuated in the kidney, ovary, and heart by caloric restriction, and this decrease correlates with diminished expression of an in vivo marker of senescence, as well as decreased pathology of those organs. Last, the age-related increase in Ink4a/Arf expression can be independently attributed to the expression of Ets-1, a known p16INK4a transcriptional activator, as well as unknown Ink4a/Arf coregulatory molecules. These data suggest that expression of the Ink4a/Arf tumor suppressor locus is a robust biomarker, and possible effector, of mammalian aging.
RNA expression analysis is an important tool in cancer research, but a limitation has been the requirement for high-quality RNA, generally derived from frozen samples. Such tumor sets are often small ...and lack clinical annotation, whereas formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) materials are abundant. Although RT-PCR-based methods from FFPE samples are finding clinical application, genome-wide microarray analysis has proven difficult. Here, we report expression profiling on RNA from 157 FFPE tumors. RNA was extracted from 2- to 8-year-old FFPE or frozen tumors of known and unknown histologies. Total RNA was analyzed, reverse-transcribed and used for the synthesis of labeled aRNA after two rounds of amplification. Labeled aRNA was hybridized to a 3′-based 22K spot oligonucleotide arrays, and compared to a labeled reference by two-color microarray analysis. After normalization, gene expression profiles were compared by unsupervised hierarchical clustering. Using this approach, at least 24% of unselected FFPE samples produced RNA of sufficient quality for microarray analysis. From our initial studies, we determined criteria based on spectrophotometric analyses and a novel TaqMan-based assay to predict which samples were of sufficient quality for microarray analysis before hybridization. These criteria were validated on an independent set of tumors with a 100% success rate (20 of 20). Unsupervised analysis of informative gene expression profiles distinguished tumor type and subtype, and identified tumor tissue of origin in three unclassified carcinomas. Although only a minority of FFPE blocks could be analyzed, we show that informative RNA expression analysis can be derived from selected FFPE samples.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The newly discovered p53 family member, p73, has a striking homology to p53 in both sequence and modular structure. Ectopic
expression of p73 promotes transcription of p53 target genes and ...recapitulates the most characterized p53 biological effects
such as growth arrest, apoptosis, and differentiation. Unlike p53-deficient mice that develop normally but are subject to
spontaneous tumor formation, p73-deficient mice exhibit severe defects in the development of central nervous system and suffer
from inflammation but are not prone to tumor development. These phenotypes suggest different biological activities mediated
by p53 and p73 that might reflect activation of specific sets of target genes. Here, we have analyzed the gene expression
profile of H1299 cells after p73α or p53 activation using oligonucleotide microarrays capable of detecting â¼11,000 mRNA species.
Our results indicate that p73α and p53 activate both common and distinct groups of genes. We found 141 and 320 genes whose
expression is modulated by p73α and p53, respectively. p73α up-regulates 85 genes, whereas p53 induces 153 genes, of which
27 are in common with p73α. Functional classification of these genes reveals that they are involved in many aspects of cell
function ranging from cell cycle and apoptosis to DNA repair. Furthermore, we report that some of the up-regulated genes are
directly activated by p73α or p53.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Senescent cells (SCs) accumulate with age and after genotoxic stress, such as total-body irradiation (TBI). Clearance of SCs in a progeroid mouse model using a transgenic approach delays several ...age-associated disorders, suggesting that SCs play a causative role in certain age-related pathologies. Thus, a 'senolytic' pharmacological agent that can selectively kill SCs holds promise for rejuvenating tissue stem cells and extending health span. To test this idea, we screened a collection of compounds and identified ABT263 (a specific inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic proteins BCL-2 and BCL-xL) as a potent senolytic drug. We show that ABT263 selectively kills SCs in culture in a cell type- and species-independent manner by inducing apoptosis. Oral administration of ABT263 to either sublethally irradiated or normally aged mice effectively depleted SCs, including senescent bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and senescent muscle stem cells (MuSCs). Notably, this depletion mitigated TBI-induced premature aging of the hematopoietic system and rejuvenated the aged HSCs and MuSCs in normally aged mice. Our results demonstrate that selective clearance of SCs by a pharmacological agent is beneficial in part through its rejuvenation of aged tissue stem cells. Thus, senolytic drugs may represent a new class of radiation mitigators and anti-aging agents.
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IJS, NUK, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
p53 exerts its tumor suppressor effects by activating genes involved in cell growth arrest and programmed cell death. The p53 target genes inducing growth arrest are well defined whereas those ...inducing apoptosis are not fully characterized. Proapoptotic activity of p53 was shown to involve several genes like Bax, Noxa and Puma, which may function in the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Cytochrome c associates with Apaf-1 and caspase 9 to form the apoptosome. Genetic and cellular data indicate that Apaf-1 deficiency abrogates the apoptotic effect of p53 and substitutes for p53 loss in promoting tumor formation. Here we show that Apaf-1, the mammalian homologue of C. elegans CED4, is a direct target of p53 as demonstrated by gel shift analysis of the target site sequence in the presence of p53 and by Apaf-1 promoter-luciferase assays. We also show that the p53 activation of the Apaf-1 luciferase construct can be enhanced by the putative tumor suppressor gene product, Zac-1, a transcription factor that has previously been shown to inhibit cell proliferation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Zac-1 is a possible direct target of p53 since the sequence upstream to the first coding exon of Zac-1 contains a p53 recognition site and the luciferase construct containing this region is activated by p53. These results suggests the existence of a tightly controlled self amplifying mechanism of transcriptional activation leading to apoptosis by p53.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The expression of markers of cellular senescence increases exponentially in multiple tissues with aging. Age-related physiological changes may contribute to adverse outcomes in cancer survivors. To ...investigate the impact of high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation on senescence markers in vivo, we collected blood and clinical data from a cohort of 63 patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. The expression of p16INK4a, a well-established senescence marker, was determined in T-cells before and 6months after transplant. RNA sequencing was performed on paired samples from 8 patients pre- and post-cancer therapy. In patients undergoing allogeneic transplant, higher pre-transplant p16INK4a expression was associated with a greater number of prior cycles of chemotherapy received (p=0.003), prior autologous transplantation (p=0.01) and prior exposure to alkylating agents (p=0.01). Transplantation was associated with a marked increase in p16INK4a expression 6months following transplantation. Patients receiving autologous transplant experienced a larger increase in p16INK4a expression (3.1-fold increase, p=0.002) than allogeneic transplant recipients (1.9-fold increase, p=0.0004). RNA sequencing of T-cells pre- and post- autologous transplant or cytotoxic chemotherapy demonstrated increased expression of transcripts associated with cellular senescence and physiological aging. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially alkylating agents, and stem cell transplantation strongly accelerate expression of a biomarker of molecular aging in T-cells.
•Peripheral blood T-cell senescence, as measured by the marker p16INK4a, increases following autologous or allogeneic HSCT.•RNAseq of T-cells post- auto HSCT or chemotherapy show increased expression of transcripts associated with senescence.•Autologous HCT in particular induces a stronger effect on Tcell p16INK4a expression than any other environmental stimulus tested to date.
Human chronological aging is associated with increased expression of markers of cellular aging (senescence). Cancer chemotherapy can produce frailty syndromes – recipients of cancer treatment may experience physiological changes ordinarily seen in individuals of more advanced chronological age. In our study, we found that a well-known marker of cellular senescence, p16INK4a, increased in patients following autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Expression of p16INK4a was higher in patients exposed to greater amounts of chemotherapy before transplant and those exposed to specific types of chemotherapy. These findings may ultimately influence clinical decision-making for patients with diseases that are commonly treated with transplantation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Previous authors have suggested that tumor suppressor expression promotes aging while preventing cancer, but direct experimental support for this cancer-aging hypothesis has been elusive. Here, by ...using somatic, tissue-specific inactivation of the p16INK4a tumor suppressor in murine T- or B-lymphoid progenitors, we report that ablation of p16INK4a can either rescue aging or promote cancer in a lineage-specific manner. Deletion of p16INK4a in the T lineage ameliorated several aging phenotypes, including thymic involution, decreased production of naive T cells, reduction in homeostatic T-cell proliferation, and attenuation of antigen-specific immune responses. Increased T-cell neoplasia was not observed with somatic p16INK4a inactivation in T cells. In contrast, B lineage–specific ablation of p16INK4a was associated with a markedly increased incidence of systemic, high-grade B-cell neoplasms, which limited studies of the effects of somatic p16INK4a ablation on B-cell aging. Together, these data show that expression of p16INK4a can promote aging and prevent cancer in related lymphoid progeny of a common stem cell.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Monitoring cancer and aging in vivo remains experimentally challenging. Here, we describe a luciferase knockin mouse (p16(LUC)), which faithfully reports expression of p16(INK4a), a tumor suppressor ...and aging biomarker. Lifelong assessment of luminescence in p16(+/LUC) mice revealed an exponential increase with aging, which was highly variable in a cohort of contemporaneously housed, syngeneic mice. Expression of p16(INK4a) with aging did not predict cancer development, suggesting that the accumulation of senescent cells is not a principal determinant of cancer-related death. In 14 of 14 tested tumor models, expression of p16(LUC) was focally activated by early neoplastic events, enabling visualization of tumors with sensitivity exceeding other imaging modalities. Activation of p16(INK4a) was noted in the emerging neoplasm and surrounding stromal cells. This work suggests that p16(INK4a) activation is a characteristic of all emerging cancers, making the p16(LUC) allele a sensitive, unbiased reporter of neoplastic transformation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Senescent cells, which express p16 (INK4a) , accumulate with aging and contribute to age-related pathology. To understand whether cytotoxic agents promote molecular aging, we measured expression of ...p16 (INK4a) and other senescence markers in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Blood and clinical information were prospectively obtained from 33 women with stage I to III breast cancer at four time points: before anthracycline-based chemotherapy, immediately after anthracycline-based chemotherapy, 3 months after anthracycline-based chemotherapy, and 12 months after anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Expression of senescence markers p16 (INK4a) and ARF mRNA was determined using TaqMan quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in CD3(+) T lymphocytes, telomere length was determined by Southern analysis, and senescence-associated cytokines were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Findings were independently assessed in a cross-sectional cohort of 176 breast cancer survivors enrolled a median of 3.4 years after treatment; 39% previously received chemotherapy. All statistical tests were two-sided.
In prospectively analyzed patients, expression of p16 (INK4a) and ARF increased immediately after chemotherapy and remained elevated 12 months after treatment. Median increase in log2 p16 (INK4a) was 0.81 (interquartile range = 0.28-1.62; Wilcoxon signed-rank P < .001), or a 75% absolute increase in expression, equivalent to the increase observed over 14.7 years of chronological aging. ARF expression was comparably increased (P < .001). Increased expression of p16 (INK4a) and ARF was associated with dose-dense therapy and hematological toxicity. Expression of two senescence-associated cytokines (VEGFA and MCP1) was durably increased by adjuvant chemotherapy. Telomere length was not affected by chemotherapy. In a cross-sectional cohort, prior chemotherapy exposure was independently associated with a log2-increase in p16 (INK4a) expression of 0.57 (repeated measures model, P < .001), comparable with 10.4 years of chronological aging.
Adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer is gerontogenic, inducing cellular senescence in vivo, thereby accelerating molecular aging of hematopoietic tissues.