title: Progerin and telomere dysfunction collaborate to trigger cellular senescence in normal human fibroblasts.
abstract: Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a devastating premature aging disease, is caused by a point mutation in the lamin A gene (LMNA). This mutation constitutively activates a cryptic splice donor site, resulting in a mutant lamin A protein known as progerin. Recent studies have demonstrated that progerin is also produced at low levels in normal human cells and tissues. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between normal aging and progerin production in normal individuals has not yet been determined. In this study, we have shown in normal human fibroblasts that progressive telomere damage during cellular senescence plays a causative role in activating progerin production. Progressive telomere damage was also found to lead to extensive changes in alternative splicing in multiple other genes. Interestingly, elevated progerin production was not seen during cellular senescence that does not entail telomere shortening. Taken together, our results suggest a synergistic relationship between telomere dysfunction and progerin production during the induction of cell senescence, providing mechanistic insight into how progerin may participate in the normal aging process.
authors.affiliation: Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0148, USA.
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Cecilia D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Dina A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Faddah
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kieckhaefer
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olive
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Erdos
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Nabel
authors.forename: Francis S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D034904:Lamin Type A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011371:Progeria / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D034904:Lamin Type A; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C504753:TERF2 protein, human; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2; C090764:prelamin A; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase