p16 loss rescues functional decline of Brca1-deficient mammary stem cells

Recent evidence indicates that the accumulation of endogenous DNA damage can induce senescence and limit the function of adult stem cells. It remains elusive whether deficiency in DNA damage repair is associated with the functional alteration of mammary stem cells. In this article, we reported that senescence was induced in mammary epithelial cells during aging along with increased expression of p16Ink4a (p16), an inhibitor of CDK4 and CKD6. Loss of p16 abrogated the age-induced senescence in mammary epithelial cells and significantly increased mammary stem cell function. We showed that loss of Brca1, a tumor suppressor that functions in DNA damage repair, in the mammary epithelium induced senescence with induction of p16 and a decline of stem cell function, which was rescued by p16 loss. These data not only answer the question as to whether deficiency in DNA damage repair is associated with the functional decline of mammary stem cells, but also identify the role of p16 in suppressing Brca1-deficient mammary stem cell function.