Lysyl oxidase, cellular senescence and tumor suppression

Replicative senescence may provide a mechanism of tumor suppression and tumor suppressor genes of the extracellular matrix, like lysyl oxidase, may play a role in cellular senescence. To test this hypothesis and determine whether the extracellular matrix may serve as a marker, the steady-state levels of human lysyl oxidase, alpha-I type III collagen and beta-actin transcripts were assessed in various cell lines during in vitro passage. Northern hybridization analysis showed a significant increase in the levels of progeria fibroblast extracellular matrix mRNAs immediately preceding senescence. The levels of these mRNAs were unaffected in age-matched normal fibroblast and fetal fibroblast cell lines.