1
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Rosas Bringas FR, Stinus S, de Zoeten P, Cohn M, Chang M. Rif2 protects Rap1-depleted telomeres from MRX-mediated degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. eLife 2022; 11:74090. [PMID: 35044907 PMCID: PMC8791636 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Rap1 is the main protein that binds double-stranded telomeric DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Examination of the telomere functions of Rap1 is complicated by the fact that it also acts as a transcriptional regulator of hundreds of genes and is encoded by an essential gene. In this study, we disrupt Rap1 telomere association by expressing a mutant telomerase RNA subunit (tlc1-tm) that introduces mutant telomeric repeats. tlc1-tm cells grow similar to wild-type cells, although depletion of Rap1 at telomeres causes defects in telomere length regulation and telomere capping. Rif2 is a protein normally recruited to telomeres by Rap1, but we show that Rif2 can still associate with Rap1-depleted tlc1-tm telomeres, and that this association is required to inhibit telomere degradation by the MRX complex. Rif2 and the Ku complex work in parallel to prevent tlc1-tm telomere degradation; tlc1-tm cells lacking Rif2 and the Ku complex are inviable. The partially redundant mechanisms may explain the rapid evolution of telomere components in budding yeast species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Stinus
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen
| | - Pien de Zoeten
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen
| | | | - Michael Chang
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen
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2
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Peska V, Garcia S. Origin, Diversity, and Evolution of Telomere Sequences in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:117. [PMID: 32153618 PMCID: PMC7046594 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are basic structures of eukaryote genomes. They distinguish natural chromosome ends from double-stranded breaks in DNA and protect chromosome ends from degradation or end-to-end fusion with other chromosomes. Telomere sequences are usually tandemly arranged minisatellites, typically following the formula (TxAyGz)n. Although they are well conserved across large groups of organisms, recent findings in plants imply that their diversity has been underestimated. Changes in telomeres are of enormous evolutionary importance as they can affect whole-genome stability. Even a small change in the telomere motif of each repeat unit represents an important interference in the system of sequence-specific telomere binding proteins. Here, we provide an overview of telomere sequences, considering the latest phylogenomic evolutionary framework of plants in the broad sense (Archaeplastida), in which new telomeric sequences have recently been found in diverse and economically important families such as Solanaceae and Amaryllidaceae. In the family Lentibulariaceae and in many groups of green algae, deviations from the typical plant telomeric sequence have also been detected recently. Ancestry and possible homoplasy in telomeric motifs, as well as extant gaps in knowledge are discussed. With the increasing availability of genomic approaches, it is likely that more telomeric diversity will be uncovered in the future. We also discuss basic methods used for telomere identification and we explain the implications of the recent discovery of plant telomerase RNA on further research about the role of telomerase in eukaryogenesis or on the molecular causes and consequences of telomere variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vratislav Peska
- Department of Cell Biology and Radiobiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Brno, Czechia
| | - Sònia Garcia
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Červenák F, Juríková K, Devillers H, Kaffe B, Khatib A, Bonnell E, Sopkovičová M, Wellinger RJ, Nosek J, Tzfati Y, Neuvéglise C, Tomáška Ľ. Identification of telomerase RNAs in species of the Yarrowia clade provides insights into the co-evolution of telomerase, telomeric repeats and telomere-binding proteins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13365. [PMID: 31527614 PMCID: PMC6746865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49628-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeric repeats in fungi of the subphylum Saccharomycotina exhibit great inter- and intra-species variability in length and sequence. Such variations challenged telomeric DNA-binding proteins that co-evolved to maintain their functions at telomeres. Here, we compare the extent of co-variations in telomeric repeats, encoded in the telomerase RNAs (TERs), and the repeat-binding proteins from 13 species belonging to the Yarrowia clade. We identified putative TER loci, analyzed their sequence and secondary structure conservation, and predicted functional elements. Moreover, in vivo complementation assays with mutant TERs showed the functional importance of four novel TER substructures. The TER-derived telomeric repeat unit of all species, except for one, is 10 bp long and can be represented as 5′-TTNNNNAGGG-3′, with repeat sequence variations occuring primarily outside the vertebrate telomeric motif 5′-TTAGGG-3′. All species possess a homologue of the Yarrowia lipolytica Tay1 protein, YlTay1p. In vitro, YlTay1p displays comparable DNA-binding affinity to all repeat variants, suggesting a conserved role among these species. Taken together, these results add significant insights into the co-evolution of TERs, telomeric repeats and telomere-binding proteins in yeasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Červenák
- Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Juríková
- Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Hugo Devillers
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Binyamin Kaffe
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Areej Khatib
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Erin Bonnell
- Department of Microbiology and Infectiology, RNA Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Martina Sopkovičová
- Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Raymund J Wellinger
- Department of Microbiology and Infectiology, RNA Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Jozef Nosek
- Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Yehuda Tzfati
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel.
| | - Cécile Neuvéglise
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Ľubomír Tomáška
- Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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4
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Abstract
Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase (RT) containing an intrinsic telomerase RNA (TR) component. It synthesizes telomeric DNA repeats, (GGTTAG)n in humans, by reiteratively copying a precisely defined, short template sequence from the integral TR. The specific mechanism of how the telomerase active site uses this short template region accurately and efficiently during processive DNA repeat synthesis has remained elusive. Here we report that the human TR template, in addition to specifying the DNA sequence, is embedded with a single-nucleotide signal to pause DNA synthesis. After the addition of a dT residue to the DNA primer, which is specified by the 49 rA residue in the template, telomerase extends the DNA primer with three additional nucleotides and then pauses DNA synthesis. This sequence-defined pause site coincides precisely with the helix paired region 1 (P1)-defined physical template boundary and precludes the incorporation of nontelomeric nucleotides from residues outside the template region. Furthermore, this sequence-defined pausing mechanism is a key determinant, in addition to the P1-defined template boundary, for generating the characteristic 6-nt ladder banding pattern of telomeric DNA products in vitro. In the absence of the pausing signal, telomerase stalls nucleotide addition at multiple sites along the template, generating DNA products with heterogeneous terminal repeat registers. Our findings demonstrate that this unique self-regulating mechanism of the human TR template is essential for high-fidelity synthesis of DNA repeats.
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5
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Lewis KA, Pfaff DA, Earley JN, Altschuler SE, Wuttke DS. The tenacious recognition of yeast telomere sequence by Cdc13 is fully exerted by a single OB-fold domain. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:475-84. [PMID: 24057216 PMCID: PMC3874162 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cdc13, the telomere end-binding protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a multidomain protein that specifically binds telomeric single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with exquisitely high affinity to coordinate telomere maintenance. Recent structural and genetic data have led to the proposal that Cdc13 is the paralog of RPA70 within a telomere-specific RPA complex. Our understanding of Cdc13 structure and biochemistry has been largely restricted to studies of individual domains, precluding analysis of how each domain influences the activity of the others. To better facilitate a comparison to RPA70, we evaluated the ssDNA binding of full-length S. cerevisiae Cdc13 to its minimal substrate, Tel11. We found that, unlike RPA70 and the other known telomere end-binding proteins, the core Cdc13 ssDNA-binding activity is wholly contained within a single tight-binding oligosaccharide/oligonucleotide/oligopeptide binding (OB)-fold. Because two OB-folds are implicated in dimerization, we also evaluated the relationship between dimerization and ssDNA-binding activity and found that the two activities are independent. We also find that Cdc13 binding exhibits positive cooperativity that is independent of dimerization. This study reveals that, while Cdc13 and RPA70 share similar domain topologies, the corresponding domains have evolved different and specialized functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Lewis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCB 543, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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6
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Laos R, Shaw R, Leal NA, Gaucher E, Benner S. Directed evolution of polymerases to accept nucleotides with nonstandard hydrogen bond patterns. Biochemistry 2013; 52:5288-94. [PMID: 23815560 DOI: 10.1021/bi400558c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Artificial genetic systems have been developed by synthetic biologists over the past two decades to include additional nucleotides that form additional nucleobase pairs independent of the standard T:A and C:G pairs. Their use in various tools to detect and analyze DNA and RNA requires polymerases that synthesize duplex DNA containing unnatural base pairs. This is especially true for nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which has been shown to dramatically lower noise in multiplexed nested PCR if nonstandard nucleotides are used in their external primers. We report here the results of a directed evolution experiment seeking variants of Taq DNA polymerase that can support the nested PCR amplification with external primers containing two particular nonstandard nucleotides, 2-amino-8-(1'-β-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)imidazo[1,2-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4(8H)-one (trivially called P) that pairs with 6-amino-5-nitro-3-(1'-β-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-2(1H)-pyridone (trivially called Z). Variants emerging from the directed evolution experiments were shown to pause less when challenged in vitro to incorporate dZTP opposite P in a template. Interestingly, several sites involved in the adaptation of Taq polymerases in the laboratory were also found to have displayed "heterotachy" (different rates of change) in their natural history, suggesting that these sites were involved in an adaptive change in natural polymerase evolution. Also remarkably, the polymerases evolved to be less able to incorporate dPTP opposite Z in the template, something that was not selected. In addition to being useful in certain assay architectures, this result underscores the general rule in directed evolution that "you get what you select for".
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Laos
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and The Westheimer Institute of Science and Technology, Gainesville, Florida 32601, United States
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7
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Bairley RCB, Guillaume G, Vega LR, Friedman KL. A mutation in the catalytic subunit of yeast telomerase alters primer-template alignment while promoting processivity and protein-DNA binding. J Cell Sci 2011; 124:4241-52. [PMID: 22193961 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.090761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that is required for maintenance of linear chromosome ends (telomeres). In yeast, the Est2 protein reverse transcribes a short template region of the TLC1 RNA using the chromosome terminus to prime replication. Yeast telomeres contain heterogeneous G(1-3)T sequences that arise from incomplete reverse transcription of the TLC1 template and alignment of the DNA primer at multiple sites within the template region. We have previously described mutations in the essential N-terminal TEN domain of Est2p that alter telomere sequences. Here, we demonstrate that one of these mutants, glutamic acid 76 to lysine (est2-LT(E76K)), restricts possible alignments between the DNA primer and the TLC1 template. In addition, this mutant exhibits increased processivity in vivo. Within the context of the telomerase enzyme, the Est2p TEN domain is thought to contribute to enzyme processivity by mediating an anchor-site interaction with the DNA primer. We show that binding of the purified TEN domain (residues 1-161) to telomeric DNA is enhanced by the E76K mutation. These results support the idea that the anchor-site interaction contributes to telomerase processivity and suggest a role for the anchor site of yeast telomerase in mediating primer-template alignment within the active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin C B Bairley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B Box 351634, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA
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8
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Stohr BA, Xu L, Blackburn EH. The terminal telomeric DNA sequence determines the mechanism of dysfunctional telomere fusion. Mol Cell 2010; 39:307-14. [PMID: 20670897 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2010.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2009] [Revised: 02/19/2010] [Accepted: 05/07/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian telomeres consist of tandem DNA repeats that bind protective protein factors collectively termed shelterins. Telomere disruption typically results in genome instability induced by telomere fusions. The mechanism of telomere fusion varies depending on the means of telomere disruption. Here, we investigate telomere fusions caused by overexpression of mutant telomerases that add mutated telomeric repeats, thereby compromising shelterin binding to telomeric termini. While all mutant telomeric sequences tested induced heterodicentric chromosome fusions in ATM-competent cells, only those mutant repeat sequences with significant self complementarity induced ATM-independent sister chromatid and isodicentric chromosome fusions. Thus, once a telomere becomes dysfunctional, the terminal telomeric sequence itself determines the fate of that telomere. These results suggest that annealing of self-complementary DNA sequence engages an alternative telomere fusion pathway in human cells, and provide one explanation for the conspicuous lack of self complementarity in the majority of known naturally occurring eukaryotic telomeric sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley A Stohr
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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9
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Chang M, Arneric M, Lingner J. Telomerase repeat addition processivity is increased at critically short telomeres in a Tel1-dependent manner in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genes Dev 2007; 21:2485-94. [PMID: 17908934 PMCID: PMC1993878 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1588807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase is the ribonucleoprotein enzyme that elongates telomeres to counteract telomere shortening. The core enzyme consists of a reverse transcriptase protein subunit and an RNA subunit. The RNA subunit contains a short region that is used as a template by the reverse transcriptase to add short, tandem, G-rich repeats to the 3' ends of telomeres. By coexpressing two RNA subunits that differ in the telomeric repeat sequence specified and examining the telomere extensions after one cell cycle, we determined that Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase can dissociate and reassociate from a given telomere during one cell cycle. We also confirmed that telomerase is nonprocessive in terms of telomeric repeat addition. However, repeat addition processivity is significantly increased at extremely short telomeres, a process that is dependent on the ATM-ortholog Tel1. We propose that this enhancement of telomerase processivity at short telomeres serves to rapidly elongate critically short telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chang
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) “Frontiers in Genetics,” CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Milica Arneric
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) “Frontiers in Genetics,” CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Lingner
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) “Frontiers in Genetics,” CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.E-MAIL ; FAX 41-21-652-69-33
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10
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Eldridge AM, Halsey WA, Wuttke DS. Identification of the determinants for the specific recognition of single-strand telomeric DNA by Cdc13. Biochemistry 2006; 45:871-9. [PMID: 16411763 PMCID: PMC3514546 DOI: 10.1021/bi0512703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The single-strand overhang present at telomeres plays a critical role in mediating both the capping and telomerase regulation functions of telomeres. The telomere end-binding proteins, Cdc13 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pot1 in higher eukaryotes, and TEBP in the ciliated protozoan Oxytricha nova, exhibit sequence-specific binding to their respective single-strand overhangs. S. cerevisiae telomeres are composed of a heterogeneous mixture of GT-rich telomeric sequence, unlike in higher eukaryotes which have a simple repeat that is maintained with high fidelity. In yeast, the telomeric overhang is recognized by the essential protein Cdc13, which coordinates end-capping and telomerase activities at the telomere. The Cdc13 DNA-binding domain (Cdc13-DBD) binds these telomere sequences with high affinity (3 pM) and sequence specificity. To better understand the basis for this remarkable recognition, we have investigated the binding of the Cdc13-DBD to a series of altered DNA substrates. Although an 11-mer of GT-rich sequence is required for full binding affinity, only three of these 11 bases are recognized with high specificity. This specificity differs from that observed in the other known telomere end-binding proteins, but is well suited to the specific role of Cdc13 at yeast telomeres. These studies expand our understanding of telomere recognition by the Cdc13-DBD and of the unique molecular recognition properties of ssDNA binding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deborah S. Wuttke
- To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 303-492-4576, Fax: 303-492-5894.
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11
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Abstract
Telomeres are multifunctional genetic elements that cap chromosome ends, playing essential roles in genome stability, chromosome higher-order organization and proliferation control. The telomere field has largely benefited from the study of unicellular eukaryotic organisms such as yeasts. Easy cultivation in laboratory conditions and powerful genetics have placed mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluveromyces lactis and Schizosaccharomyces pombe as crucial model organisms for telomere biology research. Studies in these species have made it possible to elucidate the basic mechanisms of telomere maintenance, function and evolution. Moreover, comparative genomic analyses show that telomeres have evolved rapidly among yeast species and functional plasticity emerges as one of the driving forces of this evolution. This provides a precious opportunity to further our understanding of telomere biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Teixeira
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire de la Cellule of Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR CNRS/INRA/ENS, IFR 128 BioSciences Lyon Gerland, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon cedex 07, France.
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12
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Abstract
Telomerase is a cellular reverse transcriptase responsible for telomere maintenance in most organisms. It does so by adding telomere repeats onto pre-existing ends using an integral RNA component as template. Compared to "prototypical" reverse transcriptases, telomerase is unique in being able to repetitively copy a short templating RNA segment, thus adding multiple copies of the repeat to the DNA substrate following a single binding event. This uniquely processive property hints at the intricate conformational alterations that the enzyme must choreograph during its reaction cycles. Recent studies have identified distinct structural elements within both the RNA and protein components of telomerase that modulate enzyme processivity. Pharmacological and genetic analysis suggest that telomerase processivity is a significant determinant of telomere length. Because telomere maintenance and the lack thereof have been linked to tumor progression and aging, further investigation of telomerase processivity may lead to novel medical intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal F Lue
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, W. R. Hearst Microbiology Research Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Telomeres are the protective DNA-protein complexes found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeric DNA consists of tandem repeats of a simple, often G-rich, sequence specified by the action of telomerase, and complete replication of telomeric DNA requires telomerase. Telomerase is a specialized cellular ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase. By copying a short template sequence within its intrinsic RNA moiety, telomerase synthesizes the telomeric DNA strand running 5' to 3' towards the distal end of the chromosome, thus extending it. Fusion of a telomere, either with another telomere or with a broken DNA end, generally constitutes a catastrophic event for genomic stability. Telomerase acts to prevent such fusions. The molecular consequences of telomere failure, and the molecular contributors to telomere function, with an emphasis on telomerase, are discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R W L Chan
- University of California, San Francisco, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Box 2200, San Francisco, CA 94143-2200, USA
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14
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Lin J, Smith DL, Blackburn EH. Mutant telomere sequences lead to impaired chromosome separation and a unique checkpoint response. Mol Biol Cell 2004; 15:1623-34. [PMID: 14742705 PMCID: PMC379261 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e03-10-0740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation of the template region in the RNA component of telomerase can cause incorporation of mutant DNA sequences at telomeres. We made all 63 mutant sequence combinations at template positions 474-476 of the yeast telomerase RNA, TLC1. Mutants contained faithfully incorporated template mutations, as well as misincorporated sequences in telomeres, a phenotype not previously reported for Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase template mutants. Although growth rates and telomere profiles varied widely among the tlc1 mutants, chromosome separation and segregation were always aberrant. The mutants showed defects in sister chromatid separation at centromeres as well as telomeres, suggesting activation of a cell cycle checkpoint. Deletion of the DNA damage response genes DDC1, MEC3, or DDC2/SML1 failed to restore chromosome separation in the tlc1 template mutants. These results suggest that mutant telomere sequences elicit a checkpoint that is genetically distinct from those activated by deletion of telomerase or DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-2200, USA
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15
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Bosoy D, Lue NF. Yeast telomerase is capable of limited repeat addition processivity. Nucleic Acids Res 2004; 32:93-101. [PMID: 14704347 PMCID: PMC373262 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkg943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase responsible for the maintenance of one strand of telomere terminal repeats. Telomerase-mediated sequence addition is dictated by a short 'template' region of the RNA component. Despite the short template segment, telomerases from many organisms have been shown to mediate the synthesis of long extension products. This synthesis presumably depends on two types of translocation events: simultaneous translocation of the RNA-DNA duplex relative to the active site after each nucleotide incorporation (type I or nucleotide addition processivity), and translocation of the RNA relative to the DNA product after each round of repeat synthesis (type II or repeat addition processivity). In contrast, telomerases from yeasts have been shown to synthesize mostly short products, implying a defect in one or both types of translocation. In this report, we analyzed the processivity of yeast telomerase in vitro, and identified two position-specific elongation barriers within the 5' region of the RNA template that can account for the synthesis of incomplete first round products. These barriers respond differently to variations in nucleotide concentration, primer sequence and mutations in the catalytic protein subunit, consistent with their having distinct mechanistic bases. In addition, by using optimal primers and high concentrations of dGTP, we were able to detect significant type II translocation by the yeast enzyme. Thus, the difference between the elongation property of yeast and other telomerases appears to be quantitative rather than qualitative. Our results suggest that yeast may be a useful system for investigating the physiologic significance of repeat addition processivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitry Bosoy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, W. R. Hearst Microbiology Research Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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16
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Current awareness on yeast. Yeast 2003. [DOI: 10.1002/yea.947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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