Telomerase activity in germline and embryonic cells of Xenopus

EMBO J. 1994 Jul 1;13(13):3211-7. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1994.tb06620.x.

Abstract

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein which synthesizes telomere repeats onto chromosome ends. Telomerase activity is involved in telomere length maintenance. We used Xenopus laevis as a model system to study the expression of telomerase activity in germline cells and during early development. We identified a non-processive telomerase activity in manually dissected nuclei of Xenopus stage VI oocytes. Telomerase activity was detected throughout oogenesis and embryogenesis. Telomerase was active in both S and M phase cell cycle extracts, suggesting that telomerase activity is not regulated with chromosomal DNA replication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Nucleus / enzymology
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / metabolism*
  • DNA Primers
  • Female
  • Male
  • Mitosis
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oogenesis*
  • Ovum / enzymology*
  • S Phase
  • Spermatozoa / enzymology*
  • Telomere
  • Tetrahymena
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase