Werner Syndrome Family Proteins & Telomere Recombination

描述(申请人提供)：在许多人体组织中，端粒随着年龄的增长而缩短，这种缩短可能在衰老过程中发挥作用。Werner综合征(WS)是一种隐性遗传性疾病，其特征是几个衰老特征的过早发作。与正常细胞相比，沃纳患者的细胞衰老和缩短端粒的速度要快得多。越来越多的证据表明，WS缺失的WRN蛋白在端粒维持中起作用。由于细胞必须保持适当的端粒功能才能继续生存，并可能使用同源重组来修复缩短的端粒，本研究试图确定WRN及其同系物是否参与端粒重组以修复或保护缩短的端粒。了解沃纳综合征家族蛋白是如何参与端粒维持的，应该可以洞察衰老的自然过程。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Telomeres shorten with age in many human tissues and such shortening may play a role in the aging process. Werner syndrome (WS) is a recessive genetic disorder characterized by the premature onset of several features of aging. Cells from Werner patients senesce and shorten telomeres at a much faster rate compared to normal cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that the protein deficient in WS, WRN, functions in telomere maintenance. Since cells must preserve proper telomere function for continued survival, and may use homologous recombination to repair shortened telomeres, this proposal attempts to determine whether WRN and its homologues participate in telomere recombination as a way to repair or protect shortened telomeres. Understanding how the Werner syndrome family proteins are involved in telomere maintenance should yield insight into the natural processes of aging.