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This Article Summary Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: fj.05-4480fjev2 20/9/1516    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Maurelli, R. Articles by Dellambra, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Maurelli, R. Articles by Dellambra, E.

Inactivation of p16^INK4a (inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4A) Immortalizes Primary Human Keratinocytes By Maintaining Cells in the Stem Cell Compartment

Riccardo Maurelli^*, Giovanna Zambruno, Liliana Guerra^*, Claudia Abbruzzese^*, Goberdhan Dimri, Mara Gellini^*, Sergio Bondanza^* and Elena Dellambra^*,1

^* Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Cutaneous Physiopathology and

Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, I.D.I.–IRCCS, Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata, Rome, Italy; and

Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, Evanston, Illionois, USA

¹Correspondence: Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Cutaneous Physiopathology, IDI, Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata, Via dei Castelli Romani, 83/85, Pomezia (Roma), 00040 Italy. E-Mail: e.dellambra{at}idi.it

ABSTRACT

Replicative senescence of human keratinocytes is determined by a progressive decline of clonogenic and dividing cells, and its timing is controlled by clonal evolution (i.e., the transition from stem cells to transient amplifying and postmitotic cells). Progressive increase of p16^INK4a (inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4A) expression has been shown to correlate with keratinocyte clonal evolution. Thus, the aim of our study is to understand whether p16^INK4a accumulation is a triggering mechanism of epidermal clonal evolution or a secondary event. We show that inactivation of p16^INK4a, by an antisense strategy, allows primary human keratinocytes to escape replicative senescence. Specifically, p16^INK4a inactivation alone blocks clonal evolution and maintains keratinocytes in the stem cell compartment. Antisense excision is followed by keratinocyte senescence, confirming that persistent p16^INK4a inactivation is required for maintenance of clonal evolution block. Immortalization is accompanied by resumption of B-Cell Specific Moloney murine leukemia virus site 1 (Bmi-1) expression and telomerase activity, hallmarks of tissue regenerative capacity. In turn, Bmi-1 expression is necessary to maintain the impairment of clonal evolution induced by p16^INK4a inactivation. Finally, p16^INK4a down-regulation in transient amplifying keratinocytes does not affect clonal evolution, and cells undergo senescence. Thus, p16^INK4a inactivation appears to selectively prevent clonal conversion in cells endowed with a high proliferative potential. These data indicate that p16^INK4a regulates keratinocyte clonal evolution and that inactivation of p16^INK4a in epidermal stem cells is necessary for maintaining stemness.—Maurelli, R., Zambruno, G., Guerra, L., Abbruzzese, C., Dimri, G., Gellini, M., Bondanza, S., Dellambra, E. Inactivation of p16^INK4a (inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4A) immortalizes primary human keratinocytes by maintaining cells in the stem cell compartment.