FIG. 1.

Rearrangements in senescent cells. In senescent cells, several cell-autonomous changes occur, such as telomere erosion and DNA damage accumulation, associated with modification of chromatin condensation leading to SAHF formation. Other intracellular alterations are dysfunctional mitochondria that generate accumulation of ROS, proteostasis variations, and rearrangements of nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes. Senescent cells influence the environment and other neighboring cells by secreting extracellular vesicles and SASP, whose content changes according to different physiological circumstances. ROS, reactive oxygen species; SAHFs, senescence-associated heterochromatin foci; SASP, senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Color images are available online.