title: Senescence-like changes induced by expression of p21(waf1/Cip1) in NIH3T3 cell line.
abstract: P21(Waf1/Cip1) is a potent cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. As a downstream mediator of p53, p21(Waf1/Cip1) involves in cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis. Previous studies in human cells provided evidence for a link between p21(Waf1/Cip1) and cellular senescence. While in murine cells, the role of p21(Waf1/Cip1) is indefinite. We explored this issue using NIH3T3 cells with inducible p21(Waf1/Cip1) expression. Induction of p21(Waf1/Cip1) triggered G1 growth arrest, and NIH3T3-p21 cells exhibited morphologic features, such as enlarged and flattened cellular shape, specific to the senescence phenotype. We also showed that p21(Waf1/Cip1)-transduced NIH3T3 cells expressed beta-galactosidase activity at pH 6.0, which is known to be a marker of senescence. Our results suggest that p2l(Waf1/Cip1) can also induce senescence-like changes in murine cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiao Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Zhong He
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D016196:S Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C493957:Cdkn1a protein, mouse; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D004318:Doxycycline