5-bromodeoxyuridine induces senescence-like phenomena in mammalian cells regardless of cell type or species

5-Bromodeoxyuridine was found to induce flat and enlarged cell shape, chara cteristics of senescent cells, and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase in mammalian cells regardless of cell type or species, In immortal human c ells, fibronectin, collagenase I, and p21(wafl/sdi-1) mRNAs were immediatel y and very strongly induced, and the mortality marker mortalin changed to t he mortal type from the immortal type. Human cell lines lacking functional p21(wafl/sdi-1), p16(ink4a), or p53 behaved similarly. The protein levels o f p16(ink4a) and p53 did not change uniformly, while the level of p21(wafl/ sdi-1) was increased by varying degrees in positive cell lines, Telomerase activity was suppressed in positive cell lines, but accelerated telomere sh ortening was not observed in tumor cell lines; These results suggest that 5 -bromodeoxyuridine activates a common senescence pathway present in both mo rtal and immortal mammalian cells.