The kit detects β-galactosidase activity at pH 6 in cultured cells. β-galactosidase activity at pH 6 is present only in senescent cells and is not found in presenescent, quiescent or immortal cells.
Description
The Senescence β-Galactosidase Staining Kit is designed to detect β-galactosidase activity at pH 6, a known characteristic of senescent cells not found in presenescent, quiescent or immortal cells (3). The kit includes all reagents necessary for this assay.
Background
Limited capacity to replicate is a defining characteristic of most normal cells and culminates in senescence, an arrested state in which the cell remains viable (1). Senescent cells are not stimulated to divide by serum or passage in culture, and senescence invokes a specific cell cycle profile that differs from most damage-induced arrest processes or contact inhibition (2). An enlarged cell size, expression of pH-dependent beta-galactosidase activity (3), and an altered pattern of gene expression (4,5) further characterize senescent cells.