Project description:Aging organisms accumulate senescent cells, which are the result of exposure to important stress such as telomere attrition, irradiation, oncogene activation, oxidative stress or cytotoxic drugs. These senescent cells are characterized by a stable cell cycle arrest and an important secretion of pro-inflammatory factors. This senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) has been shown to promote chronic inflammation leading to age-associated diseases. While a lot of in vitro models of senescence focus on senescent fibroblasts, it has been shown that a major portion of the burden of senescent cells in old mice are macrophages. Senescent macrophages have been shown to contribute to atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases and macular degeneration. Yet little is known about senescent macrophages. Considering their potential role in age-associated diseases, we think these senescent macrophages and their secretions need to be investigated. Here we aimed to establish and characterize an in vitro model for oncogene-induced senescence in macrophages, to characterize secretions of these senescent macrophages and to assess impacts of these secretions on recipient cells.
Project description:Accumulation of senescent cells in the tumour microenvironment can drive tumourigenesis in a paracrine manner through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Using a new p16-FDR mouse line, we show that macrophages and endothelial cells are the predominant senescent cell types in murine KRAS-driven lung tumours. Single cell transcriptomics identify a population of tumour-associated macrophages, expressing a unique array of pro-tumourigenic SASP factors and surface proteins, that are also present in normal aged lungs. Genetic or senolytic ablation of senescent cells, and macrophage depletion, result in a significant reduction in tumour burden and increased mouse survival of KRAS-driven lung cancer models. Of translational relevance, we reveal the presence of macrophages with senescent features in human lung premalignant lesions, but not in adenocarcinomas. Together, our results have uncovered a population of senescent macrophages contributing to the initiation and progression of lung cancer, thus opening potential therapeutic avenues and cancer preventative strategies.
Project description:Cellular senescence is a stable proliferation arrest that suppresses tumorigenesis. Histone chaperone HIRA deposits nucleosome-destabilizing histone variant H3.3 into chromatin in a DNA replication-independent manner. Histone H3.3 and a subset of other typically M-bM-^@M-^\replication-dependentM-bM-^@M-^] core histones were expressed in non-proliferating senescent cells, the latter linked to alternative mRNA splicing and polyadenylation. Senescent cells incorporated newly-synthesized histones into chromatin, partially dependent on HIRA. HIRA and newly-deposited histone H3.3 co-localized at promoters of expressed genes, and their distribution shifted between proliferating and senescent cells, paralleling changes in gene expression. In senescent cells, gene promoters showed exceptional enrichment of a histone acetylation linked to open and dynamic chromatin, H4K16ac. Abundance of H4K16ac depended on HIRA. In the mouse, inactivation of HIRA downregulated H4K16ac and dramatically enhanced oncogene-induced hyperplasia. To conclude, HIRA controls a previously undefined dynamic non-canonical H4K16ac-decorated chromatin landscape in senescence, and also plays an unanticipated role in suppression of oncogene-induced neoplasia. Examination of HIRA protein binding alongside histone modification H4K16ac and H3.3 in proliferating and senescent IMR90 cells
Project description:Cellular senescence is a stable proliferation arrest that suppresses tumorigenesis. Histone chaperone HIRA deposits nucleosome-destabilizing histone variant H3.3 into chromatin in a DNA replication-independent manner. Histone H3.3 and a subset of other typically “replication-dependent” core histones were expressed in non-proliferating senescent cells, the latter linked to alternative mRNA splicing and polyadenylation. Senescent cells incorporated newly-synthesized histones into chromatin, partially dependent on HIRA. HIRA and newly-deposited histone H3.3 co-localized at promoters of expressed genes, and their distribution shifted between proliferating and senescent cells, paralleling changes in gene expression. In senescent cells, gene promoters showed exceptional enrichment of a histone acetylation linked to open and dynamic chromatin, H4K16ac. Abundance of H4K16ac depended on HIRA. In the mouse, inactivation of HIRA downregulated H4K16ac and dramatically enhanced oncogene-induced hyperplasia. To conclude, HIRA controls a previously undefined dynamic non-canonical H4K16ac-decorated chromatin landscape in senescence, and also plays an unanticipated role in suppression of oncogene-induced neoplasia.
Project description:Metabolism is tightly coupled with the process of aging, and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms regulating metabolic properties in different contexts remain unclear. Cellular senescence is widely recognized as an important tumor suppressor function and accompanies metabolic remodeling characterized by increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here we showed retinoblastoma (RB) is required for the increased OXPHOS in oncogene-induced senescent (OIS) cells. Combined metabolic and gene expression profiling revealed that RB mediated activation of the glycolytic pathway in OIS cells, causing upregulation of several glycolytic genes and concomitant increases in the levels of associated metabolites in the glycolytic pathway. Knockdown of these genes by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) resulted in decreased mitochondrial respiration, suggesting that RB-mediated glycolytic gene activation promotes metabolic flux into the OXPHOS pathway. These results suggest that coordinate transcriptional activation of metabolic genes by RB enables OIS cells to maintain metabolically bivalent states that both glycolysis and OXPHOS are highly active. Collectively, our findings demonstrated a previously unrecognized function of RB in OIS cells. To understand the role of RB, we investigated the effect of RB1-knockdown in the transcription profile of oncogene-induced senescent (OIS) cells. IMR90 ER:Ras cells were treated with 100 nM 4-OHT for 6 days to induce senescence. RNA was isolated 6 days after OHT treatment and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays. SiRNA transfection (control siRNA or siRB1) was performed 4 days before RNA isolation.
Project description:The p53 protein is a cell-autonomous tumor suppressor that restricts malignant transformation by triggering cell cycle exit or apoptosis. p53 also promotes cellular senescence, a program that triggers a stable cell cycle arrest and can modify the tissue microenvironment through its effect on cell membrane and secretory proteins. Here we show that specific ablation of p53 in hepatic stellate cells, which undergo a process of proliferation and senescence in the fibrogenic response to liver damage, enhances liver cirrhosis, reduces survival and increases the malignant transformation of adjacent epithelial cells into hepatocellular carcinoma. This p53-dependent senescence program involves the release of secreted proteins which skew macrophages into a tumor-inhibiting M1-state that can eliminate senescent stellate cells. In contrast, p53-deficient stellate cells secrete factors that promote M2 polarization, which is pro-tumorigenic. Our study reveals that p53 can exert a non-cell-autonomous tumor suppressor response and suggests that this occurs, in part, by its ability to influence macrophage polarization. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying p53-dependent senescent and identified distinct classes of up-regulated or down-regulated genes during this process. Proliferating and senescent stellate cell pellets were collected RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Metabolism is tightly coupled with the process of aging, and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms regulating metabolic properties in different contexts remain unclear. Cellular senescence is widely recognized as an important tumor suppressor function and accompanies metabolic remodeling characterized by increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here we showed retinoblastoma (RB) is required for the increased OXPHOS in oncogene-induced senescent (OIS) cells. Combined metabolic and gene expression profiling revealed that RB mediated activation of the glycolytic pathway in OIS cells, causing upregulation of several glycolytic genes and concomitant increases in the levels of associated metabolites in the glycolytic pathway. Knockdown of these genes by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) resulted in decreased mitochondrial respiration, suggesting that RB-mediated glycolytic gene activation promotes metabolic flux into the OXPHOS pathway. These results suggest that coordinate transcriptional activation of metabolic genes by RB enables OIS cells to maintain metabolically bivalent states that both glycolysis and OXPHOS are highly active. Collectively, our findings demonstrated a previously unrecognized function of RB in OIS cells. To understand the role of RB, we investigated the effect of RB1-knockdown in the transcription profile of oncogene-induced senescent (OIS) cells.