TY - JOUR
T1 - The biochemistry of mammalian senescence
AU - Kirkland, James L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author wishes to thank P. Smith for her assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. This work was supported by Medical Research Council of Canada Grant MA-7679 and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation.
PY - 1992/4
Y1 - 1992/4
N2 - Senescence is a process which, until quite recently, has been the subject of little scientific investigation. Even the word "senescence" is difficult to define, and complex methodological pitfalls have impeded progress. In the past few years, there have been exciting advances in understanding the physiological, cell biological, biochemical, and molecular biological nature of senescence. Changes in membrane function, protein synthesis, DNA structure (including glycosylation, altered tertiary structure, free-radical effects, and loss of telomeric DNA), and changes in gene regulation with age are reviewed. Recent work on changes in responses to transcriptional regulatory proteins and cellular senescence factors, some of which have been identified, is particularly promising and leads to the conclusion that senescence, at least in part, is a programmed process. Despite these advances, the fundamental cause of senescence remains elusive but might, as in the case of other biological processes which are phylogenetically widespread, turn out to be quite simple, and perhaps, even modifiable.
AB - Senescence is a process which, until quite recently, has been the subject of little scientific investigation. Even the word "senescence" is difficult to define, and complex methodological pitfalls have impeded progress. In the past few years, there have been exciting advances in understanding the physiological, cell biological, biochemical, and molecular biological nature of senescence. Changes in membrane function, protein synthesis, DNA structure (including glycosylation, altered tertiary structure, free-radical effects, and loss of telomeric DNA), and changes in gene regulation with age are reviewed. Recent work on changes in responses to transcriptional regulatory proteins and cellular senescence factors, some of which have been identified, is particularly promising and leads to the conclusion that senescence, at least in part, is a programmed process. Despite these advances, the fundamental cause of senescence remains elusive but might, as in the case of other biological processes which are phylogenetically widespread, turn out to be quite simple, and perhaps, even modifiable.
KW - ageing
KW - development
KW - senescence
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U2 - 10.1016/0009-9120(92)80047-K
DO - 10.1016/0009-9120(92)80047-K
M3 - Review article
C2 - 1623580
AN - SCOPUS:0026585887
SN - 0009-9120
VL - 25
SP - 61
EP - 75
JO - Clinical Biochemistry
JF - Clinical Biochemistry
IS - 2
ER -