Telomeres and telomerase
Telomeres and telomerase
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DOI：
10.1098/rstb.2003.1370
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发表时间：
2004-01-29
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
Blackburn, EH
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Chan, SRWL;Blackburn, EH
端粒是在真核染色体末端发现的保护性 DNA-蛋白质复合物。端粒 DNA 由端粒酶作用指定的简单且通常富含 G 的序列的串联重复组成，端粒 DNA 的完整复制需要端粒酶。端粒酶是一种特殊的细胞核糖核蛋白逆转录酶。通过在其内在 RNA 部分内复制短模板序列，端粒酶合成从 5' 到 3' 向染色体远端延伸的端粒 DNA 链，从而将其延伸。端粒与另一个端粒或断裂的 DNA 末端的融合通常会对基因组稳定性造成灾难性事件。端粒酶的作用是防止这种融合。本文讨论端粒衰竭的分子后果，以及端粒功能的分子贡献者，重点是端粒酶。
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.