Gene expression of senescent and non-senescent AL1 cells

Axolotl limb regeneration proceeds through the formation of a blastema, a mound of progenitor cells that accumulate at the end of the amputated stump. These progenitor cells expand and later undergo patterning to regenerate the missing limb, restoring both form and function. A subset of cells within the blastema become senescent, a state of permanent growth arrest. Here, we address the functional relevance of cellular senescence to axolotl limb regeneration, through a combination of gain- and loss-of-function assays. Using transcriptomic analyses on in vitro and in vivo senescent cells, we gain insights into the basis of the senescent phenotype, cell-cycle arrest, and molecular mediators involved in axolotl regeneration at the molecular level. Overall design: AL1 cells were treated with either etoposide and nutlin-3a to trigger senescence induction, or DMSO to generate proliferating controls. Their transcriptomes were analyzed through RNA-seq to obtain insights into the molecular basis of senescence induction in axolotl AL1 cells, as well as to uncover common features between in vitro and in vivo senescennce in the axolotl.