title: Is senescence-associated β-galactosidase a marker of neuronal senescence?
abstract: One of the features of cellular senescence is the activity of senescence-associated- β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate this marker of senescence in aging neurons. We found that cortical neurons exhibited noticeable SA-β-gal activity quite early in culture. Many SA-β-gal-positive neurons were negative for another canonical marker of senescence, namely, double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). Moreover, DDR signalling triggered by low doses of doxorubicin did not accelerate the appearance of neuronal SA-β-gal. In vivo, we observed pronounced induction of SA-β-gal activity in the hippocampus of 24-month-old mice, which is consistent with previous findings and supports the view that at this advanced age neurons developed a senescence-like phenotype. Surprisingly however, relatively high SA-β-gal activity, probably unrelated to the senescence process, was also observed in much younger, 3-month-old mice. In conclusion, we propose that SA-β-gal activity in neurons cannot be attributed uniquely to cell senescence either in vitro or in vivo. Additionally, we showed induction of REST protein in aging neurons in long-term culture and we propose that REST could be a marker of neuronal senescence in vitro.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Malgorzata
authors: M
authors: Piechota
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Piotr
authors: P
authors: Sunderland
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.|Laboratory of Preclinical Studies in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Adrianna
authors: A
authors: Wysocka
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Nalberczak
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Malgorzata A
authors: MA
authors: Sliwinska
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Kasia
authors: K
authors: Radwanska
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Sikora
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004317:Doxorubicin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor; C577686:interleukin-6, mouse
keywords: DNA damage response; SA-β-galactosidase; aging; neurons; senescence