title: Remodeling of chromatin structure in senescent cells and its potential impact on tumor suppression and aging.
abstract: Cellular senescence is an important tumor suppression process, and a possible contributor to tissue aging. Senescence is accompanied by extensive changes in chromatin structure. In particular, many senescent cells accumulate specialized domains of facultative heterochromatin, called Senescence-Associated Heterochromatin Foci (SAHF), which are thought to repress expression of proliferation-promoting genes, thereby contributing to senescence-associated proliferation arrest. This article reviews our current understanding of the structure, assembly and function of these SAHF at a cellular level. The possible contribution of SAHF to tumor suppression and tissue aging is also critically discussed.
authors.affiliation: W446, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. peter.adams@fccc.edu
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics*; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma; D016158:Genes, p53; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D056488:Histone Chaperones; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C491641:ASF1A protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C086057:HIRA protein, human; D006570:Heterochromatin; D056488:Histone Chaperones; D006657:Histones; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D014157:Transcription Factors