Senescence-specific translation dysregulation desensitizes cells to stress by inhibiting activation of the integrated stress response.

Senescence is a state of indefinite cell cycle arrest associated with aging, cancer, and age-related diseases. Here, using label-based mass spectrometry, ribosome profiling and nanopore direct RNA sequencing, we explore the coordinated interaction of translational and transcriptional programs of human cellular senescence. We find that translational deregulation and a corresponding maladaptive integrated stress response (ISR) is a hallmark of senescence that desensitizes senescent cells to stress. We show that senescent cells maintain high levels of eIF2α phosphorylation, typical of ISR activation, but translationally repress the stress response transcription factor 4 (ATF4) by ineffective bypass of the inhibitory upstream open reading frames. Surprisingly, ATF4 translation remains inhibited even after acute proteotoxic and amino acid starvation stressors, resulting in a highly diminished stress response. Furthermore, absent a response, stress exacerbates the senescence secretory phenotype and inflammatory pathways thus acting as a possible mechanistic link to disease. Our results reveal a novel mechanism that senescent cells exploit to evade an adaptive stress response and remain viable.