Abstract
WW domain-containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (WWP1) plays an important role in the proliferation of tumor cells and the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the role of WWP1 in cellular senescence is still unknown. Here, we show that the expression patterns of p27(Kip1) and WWP1 are inversely correlated during cellular senescence. Moreover, the overexpression of WWP1 delayed senescence, whereas the knockdown of WWP1 led to premature senescence in human fibroblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that WWP1 repressed endogenous p27(Kip1) expression through ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation. Additionally, WWP1 had a strong preference for catalyzing the Lys-48-linked polyubiquitination of p27(Kip1) in vitro. Finally, we demonstrate that WWP1 markedly inhibited the replicative senescence induced by p27(Kip1) by promoting p27(Kip1) degradation. Therefore, our study provides a new molecular mechanism for the regulation of cellular senescence.