Negative Regulation of Telomerase in Arabidopsis

智力优势。 端粒是染色体的物理末端，它们由一种称为端粒酶的专门的核糖核蛋白（RNP）酶合成和维持。端粒酶活性是完全复制染色体末端并将其与受损的DNA区分开来所必需的。端粒酶的长期缺失导致端对端染色体融合。因此，端粒酶是维持基因组完整性所必需的。另一方面，如果端粒形成不当导致基因丢失，端粒酶在DNA内部双链断裂处的不当作用可能是灾难性的。因此，端粒酶活性必须受到高度调控，并限制在自然染色体末端的尖端。许多研究都集中在了解端粒酶是如何在端粒中募集和激活的，但对负调控机制知之甚少。本研究的总体目标是研究模式植物拟南芥中抑制端粒酶功能的机制。Shippen实验室的初步研究揭示了拟南芥端粒酶的一种复杂而新颖的调控途径，该途径涉及由不同蛋白质亚基和不同端粒酶RNA（TER）亚基组成的多种端粒酶。TER 1 RNP是端粒酶的正调控因子，与酵母和脊椎动物中的对应物一样，它是维持体内端粒所必需的。相反，TER 2 RNP是一种新的端粒酶活性和端粒维持的负调节因子。TER 2被剪接形成TER 2，其功能未知。目的1将研究TER 2的生物起源和功能。目的2将研究TER 2 RNP在细胞周期中的动力学，以了解为什么这种RNP不能有效地接合染色体末端。目的3建立一种新的高效端粒形成检测方法，研究端粒酶作用在染色体内部断裂处的限制。这项研究的结果将加深人们对端粒酶如何与染色体相互作用以促进基因组稳定性的理解。 除了对促进染色体完整性的基本机制提供新的认识外，这项工作更广泛的影响是，它将为一名博士后研究员和两名植物分子生物学和生物化学研究生提供研究机会，使他们能够在基因组研究的最前沿工作。目前的NSF研究还将为来自德克萨斯州A M和休斯顿市中心大学（URM校区）的本科生提供研究机会。在她的职业生涯中，Shippen博士为高中学生和教师以及本科生和研究生组织举办了许多讲座，其中包括德克萨斯州A M大学科学与工程女性Ethel Ashley-Tsutsui纪念讲座。Shippen博士对实验室管理有着长期的兴趣。2002年，她是Burroughs Wellcome基金/霍华德休斯医学研究所实验室管理课程的讲师。2008-2009年，Shippen博士在哈佛大学休假，在那里她参与了一个NSF资助的项目，以确定实验室管理的最佳实践。这项研究正在进行中，已经导致了一个新的研究生课程的发展，建立科学的关系和博士后和年轻的PI的指导计划，提供指导研究团队面临的常见问题的实际解决方案。Shippen实验室的所有成员都从这项实验室管理研究中受益，以培养领导技能，并为同事的科学发展分担责任。

Intellectual Merit. Telomeres are the physical ends of chromosomes and they are synthesized and maintained by a specialized ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase activity is required to fully replicate the chromosome terminus and to distinguish it from damaged DNA. The prolonged absence of telomerase leads to end-to-end chromosome fusions. Thus, telomerase is essential to sustain genome integrity. On the other hand, inappropriate action of telomerase at internal double-strand breaks in the DNA can be catastrophic if telomeres form inappropriately to cause gene loss. Consequently, telomerase activity must be highly regulated and confined to the tips of natural chromosome ends. Much research has focused on understanding how telomerase is recruited and activated at telomeres, but little is known about mechanisms of negative regulation. The overall goal of this research is to examine mechanisms that suppress telomerase function in the model plant Arabidopsis. Preliminary studies from the Shippen lab reveal a complex and novel regulatory pathway for Arabidopsis telomerase that involves multiple telomerase enzymes composed of different protein subunits and different telomerase RNA (TER) subunits. The TER1 RNP is a positive regulator of telomerase, and like its counterparts in yeast and vertebrates, it is required to maintain telomeres in vivo. In contrast, the TER2 RNP is a novel negative regulator of telomerase activity and telomere maintenance. TER2 is spliced to form TER2s, whose function is unknown. Objective 1 will examine the biogenesis and function of TER2s. Objective 2 will study the dynamics of the TER2 RNP during the cell cycle to understand why this RNP cannot productively engage the chromosome terminus. Objective 3 will exploit a highly efficient new telomere formation assay to study how telomerase action is restricted at internal chromosome breaks. The results of this research will deepen understanding of how telomerase interaction with chromosomes is regulated to promote genome stability.Broader Impacts. In addition to shedding new light on fundamental mechanisms that promote chromosome integrity, the broader impact of this work is that it will provide research opportunities for a postdoctoral fellow and two graduate students in plant molecular biology and biochemistry, allowing them to work at the forefront of genome research. The current NSF study will also provide research opportunities for undergraduate students from Texas A&M and the University of Houston-Downtown, a URM campus. Throughout her career, Dr. Shippen has given numerous lectures for high school students and teachers, and undergraduate and graduate student organizations, including the Texas A&M University Women in Science and Engineering Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Lecture. Dr. Shippen has a long-standing interest in laboratory management. In 2002 she was an Instructor for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund/Howard Hughes Medical Institute Laboratory Management Course. In 2008-2009, Dr. Shippen was on sabbatical leave at Harvard University, where she worked on an NSF-funded project to define best practices in laboratory management. This study is ongoing and has already led to the development of a new graduate course on building scientific relationships and a mentoring program for postdocs and young PIs that provides practical solutions to common problems faced in guiding a research team. All the members of the Shippen lab benefit from this lab management research to develop leadership skills and shared responsibility for the scientific development of their colleagues.