Do senescent cells also have their membrane permeabilized like dead cells which allows the entry of a viability marker like live/dead Fixable Dead Cell Stain ?
Thank you very much !
Hello Thomas Bessede
No. Senescent cells are growth arrested but remain viable, metabolically active with an intact plasma membrane.
You could refer to the following references for more information.
Article Senescence, Necrosis, and Apoptosis Govern Circulating Cell-...
Article Probing Physical Properties of the Cellular Membrane in Sene...
Best.
Hello!!
The live-dead assay would not be indicated to verify cellular senescence because the cells remain metabolically active with an intact plasma membrane.
I can quote an example. I am a sperm biologist and we regularly look for cell death in spermatozoa samples. We usually use PI/CFDA dual stain for the assessment of cell membrane integrity which is an indirect measure of cell viability. The senescent spermatozoa are called 'Moribund' and take up the PI stain as do the dead sperm. Nevertheless, the amount of PI uptake is lower vis-a-vis the dead sperm and such sperm also uptake CFDA which, however, is lower than the live/viable sperm. Overall, PI does enter senescent cells, nevertheless, in lower amounts.
Vipul Batra Lucas Santos and@Malcolm thank you very much for your answer it helps me a lot. i conclude that the cells marked by a viability marker (for example live/dead, PI, CFDA etc.) are really dead and not just senescent
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