Telomere dynamics during replicative senescence are not directly modulated by conditions of oxidative stress in IMR90 fibroblast cells

The replicative lifespan of many cell types is determined by the length of telomeres in the initiating cell population. In 20% oxygen, IMR90 cells have a shorter replicative lifespan compared to that achieved in conditions that lower the levels of oxidative stress. We sought to address the role of telomere dynamics in determining the replicative lifespan of IMR90 cells. We analysed clonal populations cultured in parallel in 3 and 20% oxygen. We observed that, at senescence, telomere length was shorter in 3% oxygen and this was proportional to the lifespan extension. We observed no detectable difference in the rate of telomere erosion in the two culture conditions, however as the cells approached senescence the growth rate of the cultures slowed with a commensurate increase in the rate of telomere erosion. We conclude that, in 20% oxygen senescence of IMR90 is telomere-independent, but telomere-dependent in 3% oxygen.