Template boundary definition in mammalian telomerase

Genes Dev. 2003 Nov 15;17(22):2747-52. doi: 10.1101/gad.1140303.

Abstract

Telomerase uses a short template sequence in its intrinsic RNA component to synthesize telomere repeats. Disruption of the helix P1b in human telomerase RNA or alteration of its distance from the template resulted in telomerase copying residues past the normal template boundary both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, helix P1b is important for template boundary definition in human telomerase. Mouse telomerase RNA lacks helix P1b, and the boundary is established at 2 nt downstream of the 5'-end. The divergent structure of boundary definition elements in mammals, yeast, and ciliates suggests diverse mechanisms for template boundary definition in telomerase.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Pairing
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Humans
  • Kluyveromyces / enzymology
  • Kluyveromyces / genetics
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • RNA / chemistry*
  • RNA / genetics
  • RNA / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Telomerase* / chemistry*
  • Telomerase* / genetics
  • Telomerase* / metabolism*
  • Telomere / genetics
  • Telomere / metabolism
  • Templates, Genetic*
  • Tetrahymena thermophila / enzymology
  • Tetrahymena thermophila / genetics

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • telomerase RNA
  • RNA
  • Telomerase