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Science 28 October 1977:
Vol. 198. no. 4315, pp. 366 - 372
DOI: 10.1126/science.910134
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Articles

Science, Vol 198, Issue 4315, 366-372
Copyright © 1977 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Testing the commitment theory of cellular aging

R Holliday, LI Huschtscha, GM Tarrant, and TB Kirkwood

The commitment theory may explain both the finite lifespan of diploid fibroblasts and the apparent immortality of transformed lines. Potentially immortal cells are assumed on division to generate with some fixed probability cells committed to senesce after a specific number of divisions. During the period between commitment and senescence, cells are assumed to maintain normal growth so that the uncommitted cells are diluted by committed ones and may ultimately be lost in subculturing. A number of predictions of this model are described and experiments strongly supporting the theory are reported. We conclude that the limited growth of diploid fibroblasts is, in effect, an artifact of normal culturing procedures.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Colony Formation and Colony Size Do Not Reflect the Onset of Replicative Senescence in Human Fibroblasts.
A. B. Maier, I. L. Maier, D. van Heemst, and R. G. J. Westendorp (2008)
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 63, 655-659
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Cellular aging: further evidence for the commitment theory.
R Holliday, L. Huschtscha, and T. Kirkwood (1981)
Science 213, 1505-1508
   Abstract »    PDF »
Retesting the commitment theory of cellular aging.
C. Harley and S Goldstein (1980)
Science 207, 191-193
   Abstract »    PDF »
Loss of division potential in vitro: aging or differentiation?.
E Bell, L. Marek, D. Levinstone, C Merrill, S Sher, I. Young, and M Eden (1978)
Science 202, 1158-1163
   Abstract »    PDF »


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