251
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Trahan C, Martel C, Dragon F. Effects of dyskeratosis congenita mutations in dyskerin, NHP2 and NOP10 on assembly of H/ACA pre-RNPs. Hum Mol Genet 2009; 19:825-36. [PMID: 20008900 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare genetic syndrome that gives rise to a variety of disorders in affected individuals. Remarkably, all causative gene mutations identified to date share a link to telomere/telomerase biology. We found that the most prevalent dyskerin mutation in DC (A353V) did not affect formation of the NAF1-dyskerin-NOP10-NHP2 tetramer that normally assembles with nascent H/ACA RNAs in vivo. However, the A353V mutation slightly reduced pre-RNP assembly with the H/ACA-like domain of human telomerase RNA (hTR). In contrast, NHP2 mutations V126M and Y139H impaired association with NOP10, leading to major pre-RNP assembly defects with all H/ACA RNAs tested, including the H/ACA domain of hTR. Mutation R34W in NOP10 caused no apparent defect in protein tetramer formation, but it severely affected pre-RNP assembly with the H/ACA domain of hTR and a subset of H/ACA RNAs. Surprisingly, H/ACA sno/scaRNAs that encode miRNAs were not affected by the mutation R34W, and they were able to form pre-RNPs with NOP10-R34W. This indicates structural differences between H/ACA RNPs that encode miRNAs and those that do not. Altogether, our results suggest that, in addition to major defects in the telomere/telomerase pathways, some of the disorders occurring in DC may be caused by alteration of most H/ACA RNPs, or by only a subset of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Trahan
- Département des sciences biologiques and Centre de recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8
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252
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo T Calado
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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253
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Abstract
Myriad genetic and epigenetic alterations are required to drive normal cells toward malignant transformation. These somatic events commandeer many signaling pathways that cooperate to endow aspiring cancer cells with a full range of biological capabilities needed to grow, disseminate and ultimately kill its host. Cancer genomes are highly rearranged and are characterized by complex translocations and regional copy number alterations that target loci harboring cancer-relevant genes. Efforts to uncover the underlying mechanisms driving genome instability in cancer have revealed a prominent role for telomeres. Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are particularly vulnerable due to progressive shortening during each round of DNA replication and, thus, a lifetime of tissue renewal places the organism at risk for increasing chromosomal instability. Indeed, telomere erosion has been documented in aging tissues and hyperproliferative disease states-conditions strongly associated with increased cancer risk. Telomere dysfunction can produce the opposing pathophysiological states of degenerative aging or cancer with the specific outcome dictated by the integrity of DNA damage checkpoint responses. In most advanced cancers, telomerase is reactivated and serves to maintain telomere length and emerging data have also documented the capacity of telomerase to directly regulate cancer-promoting pathways. This review covers the role of telomeres and telomerase in the biology of normal tissue stem/progenitor cells and in the development of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven E Artandi
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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254
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Hills M, Lansdorp PM. Short telomeres resulting from heritable mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene predispose for a variety of malignancies. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2009; 1176:178-90. [PMID: 19796246 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04565.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are composed of long arrays of TTAGGG repeats and associated proteins that act as a protective cap for chromosome ends. The length of telomere repeats is set in the germline but decreases in somatic cells, primarily as a function of DNA replication. Progressive telomere shortening limits stem cell divisions and probably acts as a tumor suppressor mechanism. Using a sensitive PCR method to detect the length of individual telomere repeats on specific chromosomes, we confirmed that telomere length decreases from primitive to more differentiated human cell types within the hematopoietic hierarchy. Genetic mutations in the components of telomerase (the RNA template sequence hTERC, reverse transcriptase hTERT, and Syskerin DKC1) have recently been implicated in a variety of bone marrow failure syndromes, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and more recently, acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The majority of mutations discovered in AML patients were heritable and resulted in partial loss of telomerase activity, a finding counterintuitive to the requirement of telomerase in cancer cells. We have found heritable hypomorphic TERT mutations in other cancers as well, and we propose that such mutations result in short telomeres and premature loss of stem cells. Loss of normal stem cells could provide strong selection for abnormal cells incapable of responding to DNA damage signals originating from short telomeres. Such cells will have a DNA repair defect resulting in genomic instability and a mutator phenotype. Our findings point to an intimate connection between senescence and cancer and highlight the important role of telomeres in the biology of normal and malignant human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hills
- Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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255
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Abstract
Telomeres and telomerase were initially discovered in pursuit of questions about how the ends of chromosomes are maintained. The implications of these discoveries to age-related disease have emerged in recent years with the recognition of a group of telomere-mediated syndromes. Telomere-mediated disease was initially identified in the context of dyskeratosis congenita, a rare syndrome of premature aging. More recently, mutations in telomerase components were identified in adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. These findings have revealed that the spectrum of telomere-mediated disease is broad and includes clinical presentations in both children and adults. We have previously proposed that these disorders be collectively considered as syndromes of telomere shortening. Here, the spectrum of these disorders and the unique telomere genetics that underlies them are reviewed. I also propose broader clinical criteria for defining telomere-mediated syndromes outside of dyskeratosis congenita, with the goal of facilitating their diagnosis and highlighting their pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Armanios
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21285, USA.
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256
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Savage SA, Dokal I, Armanios M, Aubert G, Cowen EW, Domingo DL, Giri N, Greene MH, Orchard PJ, Tolar J, Tsilou E, Van Waes C, Wong JM, Young NS, Alter BP. Dyskeratosis congenita: the first NIH clinical research workshop. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 53:520-3. [PMID: 19415736 PMCID: PMC2739803 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.22061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a heterogeneous inherited bone marrow failure syndrome, characterized by abnormally short telomeres and mutations in telomere biology genes. The spectrum of telomere biology disorders is growing and the clinical management of these patients is complex. A DC-specific workshop was held at the NIH on September 19, 2008; participants included physicians, patients with DC, their family members, and representatives from other support groups. Data from the UK's DC Registry and the NCI's DC cohort were described. Updates on the function of the known DC genes were presented. Clinical aspects discussed included androgen therapy, stem cell transplant, cancer risk, and cancer screening. Families with DC met for the first time and formed a family support group (http://www.dcoutreach.com/). Ongoing, open collaboration between the clinical, scientific, and family communities is required for continued improvement in our understanding of DC and the clinical consequences of telomeric defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Savage
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892,Corresponding author: Sharon A. Savage, MD, FAAP, Investigator, Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS/7018, Rockville, MD 20892, Phone: 301-496-5785, Fax: 301-496-1854,
| | - Inderjeet Dokal
- Centre for Paediatrics, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts and The London Children’s Hospital, Queen Mary University of London, London E12AT, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Armanios
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Geraldine Aubert
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z1L3
| | - Edward W. Cowen
- Dermatology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Demetrio L. Domingo
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Neelam Giri
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892
| | - Mark H. Greene
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892
| | - Paul J. Orchard
- Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Jakub Tolar
- Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Ekaterini Tsilou
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Judy M.Y. Wong
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Neal S. Young
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Blanche P. Alter
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892
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257
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Vulliamy TJ. Premature aging. Cell Mol Life Sci 2009; 66:3091-4. [PMID: 19618112 PMCID: PMC11115659 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-009-0091-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2009] [Revised: 07/01/2009] [Accepted: 07/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Vulliamy
- Centre for Paediatrics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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258
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Pavesi E, Avondo F, Aspesi A, Quarello P, Rocci A, Vimercati C, Pigullo S, Dufour C, Ramenghi U, Dianzani I. Analysis of telomeres in peripheral blood cells from patients with bone marrow failure. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 53:411-6. [PMID: 19489057 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.22107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The determination of telomere length is useful for the characterization of dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and of aplastic anemias (AA) as well as hematological malignancies. Short telomeres result from a specific defect of telomere maintenance in DC and likely from higher cellular turnover in AA and hematological malignancies. Data are not conclusive for Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), a pure erythroid aplasia due to defects of ribosomal proteins. Our aim was to evaluate the utility of a qPCR method for telomere length assessment to evaluate the diagnostic contribution of telomere measurement in bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS). PROCEDURE Telomere length was evaluated by qPCR in peripheral blood cells from 95 normal individuals and 62 patients with BMFS, including 45 patients with DBA. RESULTS Results obtained with qPCR are comparable with other quantitative methods, such as flow-FISH and Southern blotting. Our data show that only one DBA patient and a minority of other BMFS patients have very short telomeres, defined as less than the 1st percentile of controls. CONCLUSIONS The qPCR method for telomere length evaluation is an easy alternative to other methods and may thus be valuable in a clinical hematological laboratory setting. Telomere maintenance does not seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of DBA unlike in other BMFSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Pavesi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
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259
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Abstract
The telomeres of most eukaryotes are characterized by guanine-rich repeats synthesized by the reverse transcriptase telomerase. Complete loss of telomerase is tolerated for several generations in most species, but modestly reduced telomerase levels in human beings are implicated in bone marrow failure, pulmonary fibrosis and a spectrum of other diseases including cancer. Differences in telomerase deficiency phenotypes between species most likely reflect a tumour suppressor function of telomeres in long-lived mammals that does not exist as such in short-lived organisms. Another puzzle provided by current observations is that family members with the same genetic defect, haplo-insufficiency for one of the telomerase genes, can present with widely different diseases. Here, the crucial role of telomeres and telomerase in human (stem cell) biology is discussed from a Darwinian perspective. It is proposed that the variable phenotype and penetrance of heritable human telomerase deficiencies result from additional environmental, genetic and stochastic factors or combinations thereof.
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260
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Sex hormones, acting on the TERT gene, increase telomerase activity in human primary hematopoietic cells. Blood 2009; 114:2236-43. [PMID: 19561322 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2008-09-178871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgens have been used in the treatment of bone marrow failure syndromes without a clear understanding of their mechanism of action. Blood counts of patients with dyskeratosis congenita or aplastic anemia with mutations in telomerase genes can improve with androgen therapy. Here we observed that exposure in vitro of normal peripheral blood lymphocytes and human bone marrow-derived CD34(+) cells to androgens increased telomerase activity, coincident with higher TERT mRNA levels. Cells from patients who were heterozygous for telomerase mutations had low baseline telomerase activity, which was restored to normal levels by exposure to androgens. Estradiol had an effect similar to androgens on TERT gene expression and telomerase enzymatic activity. Tamoxifen abolished the effects of both estradiol and androgens on telomerase function, and letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, blocked androgen effects on telomerase activity. Conversely, flutamide, an androgen receptor antagonist, did not affect androgen stimulation of telomerase. Down-regulation by siRNA of estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha), but not ER beta, inhibited estrogen-stimulated telomerase function. Our results provide a mechanism for androgen therapy in bone marrow failure: androgens appear to regulate telomerase expression and activity mainly by aromatization and through ER alpha. These findings have potential implications for the choice of current androgenic compounds and the development of future agents for clinical use.
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261
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Ly H. Genetic and environmental factors influencing human diseases with telomere dysfunction. Int J Clin Exp Med 2009; 2:114-30. [PMID: 19684885 PMCID: PMC2719702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 05/27/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of serious and fatal forms of human blood disorder (acquired aplastic anemia, AA) and lung disease (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, IPF). We and other researchers have recently shown that naturally occurring mutations in genes encoding the telomere maintenance complex (telomerase) may predispose patients to the development of AA or IPF. Epidemiological data have shown that environmental factors can also cause and/or exacerbate the pathogenesis of these diseases. The exact mechanisms that these germ-line mutations in telomere maintenance genes coupled with environmental insults lead to ineffective hematopoiesis in AA and lung scarring in IPF are not well understood, however. In this article, we provide a summary of evidence for environmental and genetic factors influencing the diseases. These studies provide important insights into the interplay between environmental and genetic factors leading to human diseases with telomere dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinh Ly
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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262
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Diminished telomeric 3' overhangs are associated with telomere dysfunction in Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5666. [PMID: 19461895 PMCID: PMC2680952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Accepted: 04/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eukaryotic chromosomes end with telomeres, which in most organisms are composed of tandem DNA repeats associated with telomeric proteins. These DNA repeats are synthesized by the enzyme telomerase, whose activity in most human tissues is tightly regulated, leading to gradual telomere shortening with cell divisions. Shortening beyond a critical length causes telomere uncapping, manifested by the activation of a DNA damage response (DDR) and consequently cell cycle arrest. Thus, telomere length limits the number of cell divisions and provides a tumor-suppressing mechanism. However, not only telomere shortening, but also damaged telomere structure, can cause telomere uncapping. Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC) and its severe form Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson Syndrome (HHS) are genetic disorders mainly characterized by telomerase deficiency, accelerated telomere shortening, impaired cell proliferation, bone marrow failure, and immunodeficiency. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We studied the telomere phenotypes in a family affected with HHS, in which the genes implicated in other cases of DC and HHS have been excluded, and telomerase expression and activity appears to be normal. Telomeres in blood leukocytes derived from the patients were severely short, but in primary fibroblasts they were normal in length. Nevertheless, a significant fraction of telomeres in these fibroblasts activated DDR, an indication of their uncapped state. In addition, the telomeric 3' overhangs are diminished in blood cells and fibroblasts derived from the patients, consistent with a defect in telomere structure common to both cell types. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Altogether, these results suggest that the primary defect in these patients lies in the telomere structure, rather than length. We postulate that this defect hinders the access of telomerase to telomeres, thus causing accelerated telomere shortening in blood cells that rely on telomerase to replenish their telomeres. In addition, it activates the DDR and impairs cell proliferation, even in cells with normal telomere length such as fibroblasts. This work demonstrates a telomere length-independent pathway that contributes to a telomere dysfunction disease.
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263
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Carroll KA, Ly H. Telomere dysfunction in human diseases: the long and short of it! INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2009; 2:528-43. [PMID: 19636400 PMCID: PMC2713453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2009] [Accepted: 04/30/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
It has been over one hundred years since the first reported case of dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and over twenty since the discovery of telomerase, an enzyme that adds telomeric DNA repeats to chromosome ends. Emerging evidence suggests that telomere dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of DC and other human disorders involving tissues that require rapid repair and renewal capacities. Yet we still do not fully understand how mutations in telomere maintenance genes contribute to disease development in affected individuals. In this review, we provide an up-to-date summary of the topic by discussing the results from genetic screens of patients, in vitro mutational analysis of involved molecules, and genetically engineered mouse models. While these data shed important light on the mechanisms underlying disease development, further investigation, particularly in an in vivo setting, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Carroll
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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264
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Du HY, Mason PJ, Bessler M, Wilson DB. TINF2 mutations in children with severe aplastic anemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 52:687. [PMID: 19090550 PMCID: PMC2860792 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Du
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Philip J. Mason
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Monica Bessler
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - David B. Wilson
- Correspondence to: Dr. David B. Wilson, Department of Pediatrics, Box 8208, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110.
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265
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Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare inherited syndrome exhibiting marked clinical and genetic heterogeneity. It is characterised by mucocutaneous abnormalities, bone marrow failure and a predisposition to cancer. Bone marrow failure is the principal cause of premature mortality. Studies over the last 10 years have demonstrated that DC is principally a disease of defective telomere maintenance. All DC patients have very short telomeres and the genetically characterised cases of DC have mutations in six genes which either encode components of the telomerase complex (DKC1, TERC, TERT, NOP10, NHP2) or shelterin (TINF2); these are important in the elongation and protection of the telomeric end, respectively. These advances have led to the recognition of cryptic forms of DC, such as presentations with aplastic anaemia and myelodysplasia. They have also increased our understanding of normal haematopoiesis and provided new insights to the aetiology of some cases of aplastic anaemia and related haematological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Walne
- Centre for Paediatrics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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266
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Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized clinically by the triad of abnormal nails, reticular skin pigmentation, and oral leukoplakia, and is associated with high risk of developing aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, and solid tumors. Patients have very short germline telomeres, and approximately half have mutations in one of six genes encoding proteins that maintain telomere function. Accurate diagnosis of DC is critical to ensure proper clinical management, because patients who have DC and bone marrow failure do not respond to immunosuppressive therapy and may have increased morbidity and mortality associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Savage
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS/7018, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-496-5785, Fax: 301-496-1854,
| | - Blanche P. Alter
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS/7020, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 301-402-9731, Fax: 301-496-1854,
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267
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Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome. The spectrum of cancer susceptibility in this disorder of telomere biology has not been described. There were more than 500 cases of DC reported in the literature from 1910 to 2008; the National Cancer Institute (NCI) prospective DC cohort enrolled 50 cases from 2002 to 2007. Sixty cancers were reported in 52 literature cases, while 7 occurred among patients in the NCI DC cohort. The 2 cohorts were comparable in their median overall survival (42 years) and cumulative incidence of cancer (40%-50% by age 50 years). The most frequent solid tumors were head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (40% of patients in either cohort), followed by skin and anorectal cancer. The ratio of observed to expected cancers (O/E ratio) in the NCI cohort was 11-fold compared with the general population (P < .05). Significantly elevated O/E ratios were 1154 for tongue cancer and 195 for acute myeloid leukemia. Survival after bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia or leukemia was poor in both cohorts. The frequency and types of cancer in DC are surpassed only by those in Fanconi anemia (FA), indicating that FA and DC have similarly high risks of adverse hematologic and neoplastic events, and patients with these diseases should be counseled and monitored similarly.
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268
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Stout GJ, Blasco MA. Genetic dissection of the mechanisms underlying telomere-associated diseases: impact of the TRF2 telomeric protein on mouse epidermal stem cells. Dis Model Mech 2009; 2:139-56. [PMID: 19259387 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.002121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2008] [Accepted: 12/14/2008] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
TRF2 is a telomere-binding protein involved in the protection of chromosome ends. Interestingly, TRF2 is overexpressed in a number of human cancers. Mice with increased TRF2 expression (K5TRF2 mice) display a severe skin phenotype including an increase in skin cancer and premature skin degeneration, which includes increased skin hyperpigmentation and skin dryness; these pathologies are concomitant with dramatic telomere shortening and increased chromosomal instability. Here, we show that K5TRF2 mice have a severe epidermal stem cell (ESC) dysfunction, which is reversed by abrogation of p53 in the absence of rescue of telomere length. Importantly, p53 deletion also rescues severe skin hyperpigmentation in these mice through regulation of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). In addition, skin carcinogenesis is accelerated in K5TRF2/p53(-/-)mice owing to attenuated p21 induction, which enables cell proliferation to resume. Altogether, these results reveal the existence of a DNA damage-dependent checkpoint that acts on ESCs with critically short telomeres and restricts skin proliferation, thereby increasing protection against skin cancer; however, the checkpoint also leads to premature skin aging phenotypes. Finally, the results described here are relevant to our understanding of the pathobiology of those human diseases that are characterized by the presence of critically short telomeres (hereafter referred to as 'telopathies'), such as dyskeratosis congenita which causes severe skin phenotypes including skin hyperpigmentation and skin cancer.
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269
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Kirwan M, Dokal I. Dyskeratosis congenita, stem cells and telomeres. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2009; 1792:371-9. [PMID: 19419704 PMCID: PMC2686081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2009.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2008] [Revised: 01/15/2009] [Accepted: 01/15/2009] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a multi-system disorder which in its classical form is characterised by abnormalities of the skin, nails and mucous membranes. In approximately 80% of cases, it is associated with bone marrow dysfunction. A variety of other abnormalities (including bone, brain, cancer, dental, eye, gastrointestinal, immunological and lung) have also been reported. Although first described almost a century ago it is the last 10 years, following the identification of the first DC gene (DKC1) in 1998, in which there has been rapid progress in its understanding. Six genes have been identified, defects in which cause different genetic subtypes (X-linked recessive, autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive) of DC. The products of these genes encode components that are critical for telomere maintenance; either because they are core constituents of telomerase (dyskerin, TERC, TERT, NOP10 and NHP2) or are part of the shelterin complex that protects the telomeric end (TIN2). These advances have also highlighted the connection between the more “cryptic/atypical” forms of the disease including aplastic anaemia and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Equally, studies on this disease have demonstrated the critical importance of telomeres in human cells (including stem cells) and the severe consequences of their dysfunction. In this context DC and related diseases can now be regarded as disorders of “telomere and stem cell dysfunction”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kirwan
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
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270
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Ming JE, Stiehm ER. Genetic syndromic immunodeficiencies with antibody defects. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2009; 28:715-36, vii. [PMID: 18940571 DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2008.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This article reviews the major syndromic immunodeficiencies with significant antibody defects, many of which may require intravenous immunogammaglobulin therapy. The authors define syndromic immunodeficiency as an illness associated with a characteristic group of phenotypic abnormalities or laboratory features that comprise a recognizable syndrome. Many are familial with a defined inheritance pattern. Immunodeficiency may not be a major part of the illness and may not be present in all patients; thus, these conditions differ from primary immunodeficiency syndromes, in which immune abnormalities are a consistent and prominent feature of their disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey E Ming
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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271
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Trahan C, Dragon F. Dyskeratosis congenita mutations in the H/ACA domain of human telomerase RNA affect its assembly into a pre-RNP. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2009; 15:235-243. [PMID: 19095616 PMCID: PMC2648702 DOI: 10.1261/rna.1354009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2008] [Accepted: 10/30/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited disorder that implicates defects in the biology of telomeres, which are maintained by telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein with reverse transcriptase activity. Like all H/ACA RNAs, the H/ACA domain of nascent human telomerase RNA (hTR) forms a pre-RNP with H/ACA proteins NAF1, dyskerin, NOP10, and NHP2 in vivo. To assess the pre-RNP assembly of hTR mutants that poorly accumulate in vivo, we developed an in vitro system that uses components of human origin. Pre-RNPs were reconstituted with synthetic (32)P-labeled RNAs and (35)S-labeled proteins produced in rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and immunoprecipitations were carried out to analyze RNP formation. We show that human NAF1 cannot bind directly to the H/ACA domain of hTR, and requires the core trimer dyskerin-NOP10-NHP2 to be efficiently incorporated into the pre-RNP. This order of assembly seems common to H/ACA RNAs since it was observed with snoRNA ACA36 and scaRNA U92, which are predicted to guide pseudouridylation of 18S rRNA and U2 snRNA, respectively. However, the processing H/ACA snoRNA U17 did not conform to this rule, as NAF1 alone was able to bind it. We also provide the first evidence that DC-related mutations of hTR C408G and Delta378-451 severely impair pre-RNP assembly. Integrity of boxes H and ACA of hTR are also crucial for pre-RNP assembly, while the CAB box is dispensable. Our results offer new insights into the defects caused by some mutations located in the H/ACA domain of hTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Trahan
- Département des Sciences Biologiques and Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
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272
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Constitutional hypomorphic telomerase mutations in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:1187-92. [PMID: 19147845 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0807057106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in telomerase complex genes can cause bone marrow failure, dyskeratosis congenita, and acquired aplastic anemia, both diseases that predispose to acute myeloid leukemia. Loss of telomerase function produces short telomeres, potentially resulting in chromosome recombination, end-to-end fusion, and recognition as damaged DNA. We investigated whether mutations in telomerase genes also occur in acute myeloid leukemia. We screened bone marrow samples from 133 consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukemia and 198 controls for variations in TERT and TERC genes. An additional 89 patients from a second cohort, selected based on cytogenetic status, and 528 controls were further examined for mutations. A third cohort of 372 patients and 384 controls were specifically tested for one TERT gene variant. In the first cohort, 11 patients carried missense TERT gene variants that were not present in controls (P < 0.0001); in the second cohort, TERT mutations were associated with trisomy 8 and inversion 16. Mutation germ-line origin was demonstrated in 5 patients from whom other tissues were available. Analysis of all 3 cohorts (n = 594) for the most common gene variant (A1062T) indicated a prevalence 3 times higher in patients than in controls (n = 1,110; P = 0.0009). Introduction of TERT mutants into telomerase-deficient cells resulted in loss of enzymatic activity by haploinsufficiency. Inherited mutations in TERT that reduce telomerase activity are risk factors for acute myeloid leukemia. We propose that short and dysfunctional telomeres limit normal stem cell proliferation and predispose for leukemia by selection of stem cells with defective DNA damage responses that are prone to genome instability.
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273
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Du HY, Pumbo E, Ivanovich J, An P, Maziarz RT, Reiss UM, Chirnomas D, Shimamura A, Vlachos A, Lipton JM, Goyal RK, Goldman F, Wilson DB, Mason PJ, Bessler M. TERC and TERT gene mutations in patients with bone marrow failure and the significance of telomere length measurements. Blood 2009; 113:309-16. [PMID: 18931339 PMCID: PMC2615648 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2008-07-166421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2008] [Accepted: 09/21/2008] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare inherited form of bone marrow failure (BMF) caused by mutations in telomere maintaining genes including TERC and TERT. Here we studied the prevalence of TERC and TERT gene mutations and of telomere shortening in an unselected population of patients with BMF at our medical center and in a selected group of patients referred from outside institutions. Less than 5% of patients with BMF had pathogenic mutations in TERC or TERT. In patients with BMF, pathogenic TERC or TERT gene mutations were invariably associated with marked telomere shortening (<< 1st percentile) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In asymptomatic family members, however, telomere length was not a reliable predictor for the presence or absence of a TERC or TERT gene mutation. Telomere shortening was not pathognomonic of DC, as approximately 30% of patients with BMF due to other causes had PBMC telomere lengths at the 1st percentile or lower. We conclude that in the setting of BMF, measurement of telomere length is a sensitive but nonspecific screening method for DC. In the absence of BMF, telomere length measurements should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Du
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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274
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TRF1 controls telomere length and mitotic fidelity in epithelial homeostasis. Mol Cell Biol 2009; 29:1608-25. [PMID: 19124610 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01339-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
TRF1 is a component of the shelterin complex at mammalian telomeres; however, a role for TRF1 in telomere biology in the context of the organism is unclear. In this study, we generated mice with transgenic TRF1 expression targeted to epithelial tissues (K5TRF1 mice). K5TRF1 mice have shorter telomeres in the epidermis than wild-type controls do, and these are rescued in the absence of the XPF nuclease, indicating that TRF1 acts as a negative regulator of telomere length by controlling XPF activity at telomeres, similar to what was previously described for TRF2-overexpressing mice (K5TRF2 mice). K5TRF1 cells also show increased end-to-end chromosomal fusions, multitelomeric signals, and increased telomere recombination, indicating an impact of TRF1 on telomere integrity, again similar to the case in K5TRF2 cells. Intriguingly, K5TRF1 cells, but not K5TRF2 cells, show increased mitotic spindle aberrations. TRF1 colocalizes with the spindle assembly checkpoint proteins BubR1 and Mad2 at mouse telomeres, indicating a link between telomeres and the mitotic spindle. Together, these results demonstrate that TRF1, like TRF2, negatively regulates telomere length in vivo by controlling the action of the XPF nuclease at telomeres; in addition, TRF1 has a unique role in the mitotic spindle checkpoint.
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275
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Begemann S, Galimi F, Karlseder J. Moderate expression of TRF2 in the hematopoietic system increases development of large cell blastic T-cell lymphomas. Aging (Albany NY) 2009; 1:122-130. [PMID: 20046894 PMCID: PMC2772070 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2008] [Accepted: 01/20/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The telomeric repeat binding factor 2 (TRF2) plays a central role in the protection of chromosome ends by inhibiting telomeres from initiating a DNA damage cascade. TRF2 overexpression has been suggested to induce tumor development in the mouse, and TRF2 levels have been found increased in human tumors. Here we tested whether moderate expression of TRF2 in the hematopoietic system leads to cancer development in the mouse. TRF2 and a GFP-TRF2 fusion protein were introduced into hematopoietic precursors, and tested for function. TRF2 overexpressing cells were integrated into the hematopoietic system of C57BL/6J recipient mice, and animals were put on tumor watch. An increase in the development of T-cell lymphomas was observed in secondary recipient animals, however, overexpression of the TRF2 transgene was not detectable anymore in the tumors. The tumors were characterized as large cell blastic T-cell lymphomas and displayed signs of genome instability as evidenced by chromosome fusions. However, the rate of lymphoma development in TRF2-overexpressing animals was low, suggesting the TRF2 does not serve as a dominant oncogene in the system used.
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276
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Abstract
AbstractTelomeres, repeat sequences at the ends of chromosomes, are protective chromosomal structures highly conserved from primitive organisms to humans. Telomeres inevitably shorten with every cell cycle, and telomere attrition has been hypothesized to be fundamental to normal senescence of cells, tissues, and organisms. Molecular mechanisms have evolved to maintain their length and protective function; telomerase (TERT) is a reverse transcriptase enzyme that uses an RNA molecule (TERC) as the template to elongate the 3′ ends of telomeres. Shelterin is a collection of DNA-binding proteins that cover and protect telomeres. The recent discovery of inherited mutations in genes that function to repair telomeres as etiologic in a range of human diseases, which have clinical manifestations in diverse tissues, including the hematopoietic tissue, suggests that defects in telomere repair and protection can cause organ failure. Dyskeratosis congenita is the prototype of telomere diseases; it is characterized by bone marrow failure, mucocutaneous abnormalities, pulmonary fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and increased susceptibility to cancer, including acute myeloid leukemia. Aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis also are associated with inherited mutations in telomere repair or protection genes. Additionally, telomere defects associate with predisposition to hematologic malignancy and epithelial tumors. Telomere erosion is abnormally rapid in patients with mutations in telomerase genes but also after hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and telomeres are naturally shorter in older individuals—all conditions associated with higher rates of malignant diseases. In human tissue culture, short telomeres produce end-to-end chromosome fusion, nonreciprocal translocations, and aneuploidy.
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277
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Kurnikova M, Shagina I, Khachatryan L, Schagina O, Maschan M, Shagin D. Identification of a novel mutation in DKC1 in dyskeratosis congenita. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 52:135-7. [PMID: 18802941 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by the triad of reticular skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy and mucosal leukoplakia, and the predisposition to bone marrow failure and malignancy. DC is genetically heterogeneous and X-linked and autosomal forms of the disease exist. Here, we report the clinical description and mutation analysis of a Russian family with X-linked DC. A novel mutation in DKC1 raised de novo in the maternal grandmother's gamete was found; this mutation is a 2 bp inversion in exon 3: NM_001363:c.166_167invCT (Leu56Ser).
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278
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Abstract
Abstract
The treatment and medical management of aplastic anemia fundamentally differ between patients with inherited versus acquired marrow failure; however, the diagnosis of an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome is frequently obscure. Recent exciting advances in our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of the inherited bone marrow failure syndromes have resulted in a profusion of new tests to aid in diagnosis. This in turn has raised questions regarding the appropriate choice of testing for the patient presenting with aplastic anemia. Important clues to the diagnosis of an inherited marrow failure syndrome may be gleaned from careful attention to the clinical history, physical exam, and laboratory workup.
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279
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Kirwan M, Beswick R, Vulliamy T, Nathwani AC, Walne AJ, Casimir C, Dokal I. Exogenous TERC alone can enhance proliferative potential, telomerase activity and telomere length in lymphocytes from dyskeratosis congenita patients. Br J Haematol 2008; 144:771-81. [PMID: 19036115 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07516.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited multi-system disorder characterised by muco-cutaneous abnormalities, bone marrow failure and a predisposition to malignancy. Bone marrow failure is the principal cause of mortality and is thought to be the result of premature cell death in the haematopoietic compartment because DC cells age prematurely and tend to have short telomeres. DC is genetically heterogeneous and patients have mutations in genes that encode components of the telomerase complex (DKC1, TERC, TERT, NOP10 and NHP2), and telomere shelterin complex (TINF2), both important in telomere maintenance. Here, we transduced primary T lymphocytes and B lymphocyte lines established from patients with TERC and DKC1 mutations with wild type TERC-bearing lentiviral vectors. We found that transduction with exogenous TERC alone was capable of increasing telomerase activity in mutant T lymphocytes and B lymphocyte lines and improved the survival and thus overall growth of B-lymphocyte lines over a prolonged period, regardless of their disease mutation. Telomeres in TERC-treated lines were longer than in the untreated cultures. This is the first study of its kind in DC lymphocytes and the first to demonstrate that transduction with TERC alone can improve cell survival and telomere length without the need for exogenous TERT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kirwan
- Centre for Paediatrics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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280
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Ataxia and pancytopenia caused by a mutation in TINF2. Hum Genet 2008; 124:507-13. [PMID: 18979121 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-008-0576-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2008] [Accepted: 10/16/2008] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The syndrome of ataxia-pancytopenia is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathies, pancytopenia and a predilection to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. The genetic basis of this condition is unknown. We describe a child who presented with ataxia and pancytopenia and was found to have a heterozygous mutation, c.845G>A (Arg282His) in TINF2, a gene recently reported to be mutated in a subset of patients with autosomal dominant dyskeratosis congenita. We propose that some cases of ataxia-pancytopenia may be affected by DC.
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281
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Chan A, Boulé JB, Zakian VA. Two pathways recruit telomerase to Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomeres. PLoS Genet 2008; 4:e1000236. [PMID: 18949040 PMCID: PMC2567097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2008] [Accepted: 09/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The catalytic subunit of yeast telomerase, Est2p, is a telomere associated throughout most of the cell cycle, while the Est1p subunit binds only in late S/G2 phase, the time of telomerase action. Est2p binding in G1/early S phase requires a specific interaction between telomerase RNA (TLC1) and Ku80p. Here, we show that in four telomerase-deficient strains (cdc13-2, est1Ä, tlc1-SD, and tlc1-BD), Est2p telomere binding was normal in G1/early S phase but reduced to about 40–50% of wild type levels in late S/G2 phase. Est1p telomere association was low in all four strains. Wild type levels of Est2p telomere binding in late S/G2 phase was Est1p-dependent and required that Est1p be both telomere-bound and associated with a stem-bulge region in TLC1 RNA. In three telomerase-deficient strains in which Est1p is not Est2p-associated (tlc1-SD, tlc1-BD, and est2Ä), Est1p was present at normal levels but its telomere binding was very low. When the G1/early S phase and the late S/G2 phase telomerase recruitment pathways were both disrupted, neither Est2p nor Est1p was telomere-associated. We conclude that reduced levels of Est2p and low Est1p telomere binding in late S/G2 phase correlated with an est phenotype, while a WT level of Est2p binding in G1 was not sufficient to maintain telomeres. In addition, even though Cdc13p and Est1p interact by two hybrid, biochemical and genetic criteria, this interaction did not occur unless Est1p was Est2p-associated, suggesting that Est1p comes to the telomere only as part of the holoenzyme. Finally, the G1 and late S/G2 phase pathways for telomerase recruitment are distinct and are likely the only ones that bring telomerase to telomeres in wild-type cells. Duplication of linear DNA is complicated by the fact that conventional DNA polymerases cannot copy their ends. From yeasts to humans, replication of DNA ends, called telomeres, is accomplished by a telomere-dedicated reverse transcriptase called telomerase that uses its RNA subunit as a template. We show that there are two genetically distinct pathways that recruit yeast telomerase, Est2p, to telomeres in a cell cycle–dependent manner. Only one of the two pathways, the pathway operating late in the cell cycle, is required for telomere maintenance. In telomerase-deficient strains, the amount of Est2p that is telomere-bound late in the cell cycle is about 50% of wild type levels. Maintenance of functional levels of Est2p late in the cell cycle requires that Est1p, another telomerase subunit, be telomere-bound. In addition, Est1p must be associated with Est2p via an interaction between it and telomerase RNA. Human telomerase is not active in most somatic cells, but is critical for stem cell longevity. Even a modest reduction in telomerase has a serious impact on human health. The sensitivity of yeast to reduced levels of telomere-associated telomerase may help us understand why human stem cells require high levels of telomerase for their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jean-Baptiste Boulé
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Virginia A. Zakian
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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282
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Pot1b deletion and telomerase haploinsufficiency in mice initiate an ATR-dependent DNA damage response and elicit phenotypes resembling dyskeratosis congenita. Mol Cell Biol 2008; 29:229-40. [PMID: 18936156 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01400-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) protein is a single-stranded telomere binding protein that is essential for proper maintenance of telomere length. Disruption of POT1 function leads to chromosome instability and loss of cellular viability. Here, we show that targeted deletion of the mouse Pot1b gene results in increased apoptosis in highly proliferative tissues. In the setting of telomerase haploinsufficiency, loss of Pot1b results in depletion of germ cells and complete bone marrow failure due to increased apoptosis, culminating in premature death. Pot1b(-/-) mTR(+/-) hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells display markedly reduced survival potential in vitro. Accelerated telomere shortening, increased G overhang and elevated number of chromosome end-to-end fusions that initiate an ATR-dependent DNA damage response were also observed. These results indicate an essential role for Pot1b in the maintenance of genome integrity and the long-term viability of proliferative tissues in the setting of telomerase deficiency. Interestingly, these phenotypes closely resemble those found in the human disease dyskeratosis congenita (DC), an inherited syndrome characterized by bone marrow failure, hyperpigmentation, and nail dystrophy. We anticipate that this mouse will serve as a useful model to further understand the pathophysiology of DC.
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283
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Cronkhite JT, Xing C, Raghu G, Chin KM, Torres F, Rosenblatt RL, Garcia CK. Telomere shortening in familial and sporadic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2008; 178:729-37. [PMID: 18635888 PMCID: PMC2556455 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200804-550oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 378] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2008] [Accepted: 07/17/2008] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Heterozygous mutations in the coding regions of the telomerase genes, TERT and TERC, have been found in familial and sporadic cases of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. All affected patients with mutations have short telomeres. OBJECTIVES To test whether telomere shortening is a frequent mechanism underlying pulmonary fibrosis, we have characterized telomere lengths in subjects with familial or sporadic disease who do not have coding mutations in TERT or TERC. METHODS Using a modified Southern blot assay, the telomerase restriction fragment length method, and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay we have measured telomere lengths of genomic DNA isolated from circulating leukocytes from normal control subjects and subjects with pulmonary fibrosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS All affected patients with telomerase mutations, including case subjects heterozygous for newly reported mutations in TERT, have short telomere lengths. A significantly higher proportion of probands with familial pulmonary fibrosis (24%) and sporadic case subjects (23%) in which no coding mutation in TERT or TERC was found had telomere lengths less than the 10th percentile when compared with control subjects (P = 2.6 x 10(-8)). Pulmonary fibrosis affectation status was significantly associated with telomerase restriction fragment lengths, even after controlling for age, sex, and ethnicity (P = 6.1 x 10(-11)). Overall, 25% of sporadic cases and 37% of familial cases of pulmonary fibrosis had telomere lengths less than the 10th percentile. CONCLUSIONS A significant fraction of individuals with pulmonary fibrosis have short telomere lengths that cannot be explained by coding mutations in telomerase. Telomere shortening of circulating leukocytes may be a marker for an increased predisposition toward the development of this age-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Cronkhite
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8591, USA
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284
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Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare syndrome, characterized by cutaneous abnormalities and premature death caused by bone marrow failure. In this issue of Genes & Development, Hockemeyer and colleagues (pp. 1773-1785) report a new mouse model that reconstitutes key features of DC. Disease phenotypes are generated by a POT1b deletion in a telomerase-deficient background that accelerates the shortening of telomeres by degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Autexier
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2, Canada.
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285
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Abstract
Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) have a progressive and often fatal course, and their enigmatic etiology has complicated approaches to effective therapies. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common of IIPs and shares with IIPs an increased incidence with age and unexplained scarring in the lung. Short telomeres limit tissue renewal capacity in the lung and germ-line mutations in telomerase components, hTERT and hTR, underlie inheritance in a subset of families with IPF. To examine the hypothesis that short telomeres contribute to disease risk in sporadic IIPs, we recruited patients who have no family history and examined telomere length in leukocytes and in alveolar cells. To screen for mutations, we sequenced hTERT and hTR. We also reviewed the cases for features of a telomere syndrome. IIP patients had shorter leukocyte telomeres than age-matched controls (P < 0.0001). In a subset (10%), IIP patients had telomere lengths below the first percentile for their age. Similar to familial cases with mutations, IPF patients had short telomeres in alveolar epithelial cells (P < 0.0001). Although telomerase mutations were rare, detected in 1 of 100 patients, we identified a cluster of individuals (3%) with IPF and cryptogenic liver cirrhosis, another feature of a telomere syndrome. Short telomeres are thus a signature in IIPs and likely play a role in their age-related onset. The clustering of cryptogenic liver cirrhosis with IPF suggests that the telomere shortening we identify has consequences and can contribute to what appears clinically as idiopathic progressive organ failure in the lung and the liver.
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286
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McCord RA, Broccoli D. Telomeric chromatin: roles in aging, cancer and hereditary disease. Mutat Res 2008; 647:86-93. [PMID: 18778718 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2008.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2008] [Revised: 07/30/2008] [Accepted: 08/07/2008] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the last several years there has been an explosion in our understanding of the organization of telomeric chromatin in mammals. As in other regions of the genome, chromatin composition at the telomere regulates structure, which defines function. Mammalian telomeres, similar to what has been demonstrated for telomeres of other eukaryotes, carry marks of heterochromatin and alteration in this underlying epigenetic code has effects on telomere replication and recombination. Experiments aimed at determining links between changes in telomeric chromatin and possible roles in aging and disease are beginning to emerge. The rapid refinement of our knowledge of the structure and alterations in telomeric chromatin over the last several years makes it likely that we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A McCord
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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287
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Hoareau-Aveilla C, Henry Y, Leblanc T. [Dyskeratosis congenita, a disease caused by defective telomere maintenance]. Med Sci (Paris) 2008; 24:390-8. [PMID: 18405638 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2008244390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC), also called Zinsser-Cole-Engman syndrome, is a rare, often fatal, inherited disease described for the first time at the dermatological level by Zinsser in 1906. It is a very polymorphous disease at the clinical level, with several modes of inheritance. Several clinical symptoms of the disease can appear after a latency period. These features render DC particularly difficult to diagnose. Mutations of several genes can cause DC, four of them having been identified so far. However, for a majority of patients, the affected gene has not been found. Remarkably, all identified genes (DKC1, hTERC, hTERT, and NOP10) encode components of telomerase, all required for telomere length maintenance. DC is thus a unique clinical model for the study of the roles of telomerase and telomeres. Moreover, proteins encoded by the DKC1 and NOP10 genes are also components of so-called box H/ACA RNPs required for ribosome synthesis and pre-mRNA processing. Alterations of these processes could contribute to the symptoms of DC patients carrying mutations in DKC1 or NOP10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Hoareau-Aveilla
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote du CNRS, Université de Toulouse, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
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288
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TINF2 mutations result in very short telomeres: analysis of a large cohort of patients with dyskeratosis congenita and related bone marrow failure syndromes. Blood 2008; 112:3594-600. [PMID: 18669893 PMCID: PMC2572788 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2008-05-153445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a multisystem bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by a triad of mucocutaneous abnormalities and a predisposition to cancer. The genetic basis of DC remains unknown in more than 60% of patients. Mutations have been identified in components of the telomerase complex (dyskerin, TERC, TERT, NOP10, and NHP2), and recently in one component of the shelterin complex TIN2 (gene TINF2). To establish the role of TINF2 mutations, we screened DNA from 175 uncharacterised patients with DC as well as 244 patients with other bone marrow failure disorders. Heterozygous coding mutations were found in 33 of 175 previously uncharacterized DC index patients and 3 of 244 other patients. A total of 21 of the mutations affected amino acid 282, changing arginine to histidine (n = 14) or cysteine (n = 7). A total of 32 of 33 patients with DC with TINF2 mutations have severe disease, with most developing aplastic anaemia by the age of 10 years. Telomere lengths in patients with TINF2 mutations were the shortest compared with other DC subtypes, but TERC levels were normal. In this large series, TINF2 mutations account for approximately 11% of all DC, but they do not play a significant role in patients with related disorders. This study emphasises the role of defective telomere maintenance on human disease.
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289
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A pathogenic dyskerin mutation impairs proliferation and activates a DNA damage response independent of telomere length in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:10173-8. [PMID: 18626023 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803559105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from exonucleases and distinguishing them from double-stranded breaks. Their integrity is maintained by telomerase, an enzyme consisting of a reverse transcriptase, TERT and an RNA template, TERC, and other components, including the pseudouridine synthase, dyskerin, the product of the DKC1 gene. When telomeres become critically short, a p53-dependent pathway causing cell cycle arrest is induced that can lead to senescence, apoptosis, or, rarely to genomic instability and transformation. The same pathway is induced in response to DNA damage. DKC1 mutations in the disease dyskeratosis congenita are thought to act via this mechanism, causing growth defects in proliferative tissues through telomere shortening. Here, we show that pathogenic mutations in mouse Dkc1 cause a growth disadvantage and an enhanced DNA damage response in the context of telomeres of normal length. We show by genetic experiments that the growth disadvantage, detected by disparities in X-inactivation patterns in female heterozygotes, depends on telomerase. Hemizygous male mutant cells showed a strikingly enhanced DNA damage response via the ATM/p53 pathway after treatment with etoposide with a significant number of DNA damage foci colocalizing with telomeres in cytological preparations. We conclude that dyskerin mutations cause slow growth independently of telomere shortening and that this slow growth is the result of the induction of DNA damage. Thus, dyskerin interacts with telomerase and affects telomere maintenance independently of telomere length.
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Hockemeyer D, Palm W, Wang RC, Couto SS, de Lange T. Engineered telomere degradation models dyskeratosis congenita. Genes Dev 2008; 22:1773-85. [PMID: 18550783 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1679208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by cutaneous symptoms, including hyperpigmentation and nail dystrophy. Some forms of DC are caused by mutations in telomerase, the enzyme that counteracts telomere shortening, suggesting a telomere-based disease mechanism. However, mice with extensively shortened telomeres due to telomerase deficiency do not develop the characteristics of DC, raising questions about the etiology of DC and/or mouse models for human telomere dysfunction. Here we describe mice engineered to undergo telomere degradation due to the absence of the shelterin component POT1b. When combined with reduced telomerase activity, POT1b deficiency elicits several characteristics of DC, including hyperpigmentation and fatal bone marrow failure at 4-5 mo of age. These results provide experimental support for the notion that DC is caused by telomere dysfunction, and demonstrate that key aspects of a human telomere-based disease can be modeled in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Hockemeyer
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Mutations in the telomerase component NHP2 cause the premature ageing syndrome dyskeratosis congenita. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:8073-8. [PMID: 18523010 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0800042105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis congenita is a premature aging syndrome characterized by muco-cutaneous features and a range of other abnormalities, including early greying, dental loss, osteoporosis, and malignancy. Dyskeratosis congenita cells age prematurely and have very short telomeres. Patients have mutations in genes that encode components of the telomerase complex (dyskerin, TERC, TERT, and NOP10), important in the maintenance of telomeres. Many dyskeratosis congenita patients remain uncharacterized. Here, we describe the analysis of two other proteins, NHP2 and GAR1, that together with dyskerin and NOP10 are key components of telomerase and small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP) complexes. We have identified previously uncharacterized NHP2 mutations that can cause autosomal recessive dyskeratosis congenita but have not found any GAR1 mutations. Patients with NHP2 mutations, in common with patients bearing dyskerin and NOP10 mutations had short telomeres and low TERC levels. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of NHP2 in human cells led to low TERC levels, but this reduction was not observed after GAR1 knockdown. These findings suggest that, in human cells, GAR1 has a different impact on the accumulation of TERC compared with dyskerin, NOP10, and NHP2. Most of the mutations so far identified in patients with classical dyskeratosis congenita impact either directly or indirectly on the stability of RNAs. In keeping with this effect, patients with dyskerin, NOP10, and now NHP2 mutations have all been shown to have low levels of telomerase RNA in their peripheral blood, providing direct evidence of their role in telomere maintenance in humans.
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Abstract
Acquired and congenital aplastic anemias recently have been linked molecularly and pathophysiologically by abnormal telomere maintenance. Telomeres are repeated nucleotide sequences that cap the ends of chromosomes and protect them from damage. Telomeres are eroded with cell division, but in hematopoietic stem cells, maintenance of their length is mediated by telomerase. Accelerated telomere shortening is virtually universal in dyskeratosis congenita, caused by mutations in genes encoding components of telomerase or telomere-binding protein (TERT, TERC, DKC1, NOP10, or TINF2). About one-third of patients with acquired aplastic anemia also have short telomeres, which in some cases associate with TERT or TERC mutations. These mutations cause low telomerase activity, accelerated telomere shortening, and diminished proliferative capacity of hematopoietic progenitors. As in other genetic diseases, additional environmental, genetic, and epigenetic modifiers must contribute to telomere erosion and ultimately to disease phenotype. Short telomeres also may cause genomic instability and malignant progression in these marrow failure syndromes. Identification of short telomeres has potential clinical implications: it may be useful in dyskeratosis congenita diagnosis, in suggesting mutations in patients with acquired aplastic anemia, and for selection of suitable hematopoietic stem cell family donors for transplantation in telomerase-deficient patients.
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Savage SA, Alter BP. The role of telomere biology in bone marrow failure and other disorders. Mech Ageing Dev 2007; 129:35-47. [PMID: 18160098 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2007.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2007] [Revised: 11/07/2007] [Accepted: 11/10/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres, consisting of nucleotide repeats and a protein complex at chromosome ends, are essential in maintaining chromosomal integrity. Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is the inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) that epitomizes the effects of abnormal telomere biology. Patients with DC have extremely short telomere lengths (<1st percentile) and many have mutations in telomere biology genes. Interpretation of telomere length in other IBMFSs is less straightforward. Abnormal telomere shortening has been reported in patients with apparently acquired hematologic disorders, including aplastic anemia, myeolodysplasia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and leukemia. In these disorders, the shortest-lived cells have the shortest telomeres, suggestive of increased hematopoietic stress. Telomeres are also markers of replicative and/or oxidative stress in other complex disease pathways, such as inflammation, stress, and carcinogenesis. The spectrum of related disorders caused by mutations in telomere biology genes extends beyond classical DC to include marrow failure that does not respond to immunosuppression, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and possibly other syndromes. We suggest that such patients be categorized as having an inherited disorder of telomere biology. Longitudinal studies of patients with very short telomeres but without classical DC are necessary to further understand the long-term sequelae, such as malignancy, osteonecrosis/osteoporosis, and pulmonary and liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Savage
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892, United States.
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