Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres and Mediated Telomere Synthesis
13
Citation
95
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
Abstract:
Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that protect eukaryotic chromosome ends from being erroneously repaired by the DNA damage repair system, and the length of telomeres indicates the replicative potential of the cell. Telomeres shorten during each division of the cell, resulting in telomeric damage and replicative senescence. Tumor cells tend to ensure cell proliferation potential and genomic stability by activating telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) for telomere lengthening. The alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway is the most frequently activated TMM in tumors of mesenchymal and neuroepithelial origin, and ALT also frequently occurs during experimental cellular immortalization of mesenchymal cells. ALT is a process that relies on homologous recombination (HR) to elongate telomeres. However, some processes in the ALT mechanism remain poorly understood. Here, we review the most recent understanding of ALT mechanisms and processes, which may help us to better understand how the ALT pathway is activated in cancer cells and determine the potential therapeutic targets in ALT pathway-stabilized tumors.The duplex telomere repeat (TTAGGG)n is an essential cis-acting element of the mammalian telomere, and an exogenous telomere repeat can induce chromosome breakage and de novo telomere formation at the site of a break (telomere seeding). Telomere seeding requires the telomere repeat (TTAGGG)n more stringently than does an in vitro telomerase assay, suggesting that it reflects the activity of a critical trans-acting element of the functional telomere, in addition to telomerase. Furthermore, telomere seeding is induced at a frequency fluctuating widely among human cell lines, suggesting variation in the activity of this hypothetical factor among cells. In this study, we investigated the cellular factor(s) required for telomere formation using the frequency of telomere seeding as an index and identified TRF1, one of the telomere repeat binding proteins, as an essential trans-acting factor. The exogenous telomere repeat induces telomere formation at a frequency determined by the availability of TRF1, even in telomerase-negative cells. Our study shows clearly that TRF1 has a novel physiological significance distinct from its role as a regulator of telomere length in the endogenous chromosome. The possible role of TRF1 in cell aging and immortalization is discussed.
Telomere-binding protein
Cite
Citations (35)
In this review, we summarize data on the structural and functional characteristics of human telomeres and analyze how endo- and exogenous factors influence telomere length. We elucidate the history of telomere investigation, describe their structure and functions, methods of their study. We also characterize the mechanisms of telomere lengthening and shortening. We discuss in detail endo- and exogenous factors affecting telomere length during gametogenesis, embryogenesis and in the postnatal period of human development. We describe how oxidative stress influences telomere length through guanine oxidation, single-strand breaks in DNA, decrease of telomerase activity and suppression of recombination in telomeric sequences. We conclude that the multidirectional effect of various factors, both sporadic and determined by the developmental program, ensures the dynamic equilibrium of telomere length. A shift in this balance due to increased influence of one or several factors can lead to telomere lengthening or shortening. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the telomere length changes and the critical periods of exposure to both protective and negative factors is important to contribute to the knowledge about telomere functions and to develop approaches of telomere length correction.
Telomere-binding protein
Cite
Citations (2)
Reddel, R. R., Bryan, T. M., Colgin, L. M., Perrem, K. T. and Yeager, T. R. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres in Human Cells.Activation of a telomere maintenance mechanism appears to be essential for immortalization. In most human tumors and tumor cell lines, the telomere maintenance mechanism involves the activity of telomerase, a reverse transcriptase holoenzyme that synthesizes telomeric repeat DNA. In some cases, telomere maintenance occurs in the absence of telomerase activity by a mechanism referred to as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The development of telomere-targeted anticancer therapies will be facilitated by an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ALT and of the means whereby ALT is repressed in normal cells.
Cite
Citations (111)
Activation of telomerase and stabilization of telomeres are considered to be necessary for immortalization of human tumor cells. Telomerase activity and telomere lengths were examined in adult and childhood cancer tissues. High telomerase activity was detected in over 40% samples. In these cases, the lengths of telomeres varied in wide range and the short telomere length significantly correlated with high proliferative index. The patients with short telomeres demonstrated poorer prognosis than other patients. These findings suggest that the short telomeres might be related with the malignant potential in cancers with high telomerase activity.
Cite
Citations (3)
Білім берy қоғaмның экономикaлық дaмyының негізі, әлеyметтік тұрaқтылықтың фaкторлaрының бірі, хaлықтың рyхaни-aдaмгершілік әлеyетінің және интеллектyaлдық өсyінің қaйнaр көзі ретінде бaрлық yaқыттaрдa тaптырмaс құндылық болып есептеліп келеді. Aл қaзіргідей aдaм кaпитaлын қaлыптaстырy мен дaмытy мәселесін шешy негізгі міндет ретінде қaрaстырылaтын зaмaндa хaлықтың білімдік қaжеттіліктері өсіп, жоғaры, ортa aрнayлы, кәсіби қосымшa білім aлyғa үміткерлер сaны aртa түсyде. Бұғaн жayaп ретінде білім берy ұйымдaрының сaлaлaнyы aртып, әртүрлі типтегі оқy орындaрының сaны aртyдa, білім берyдің инфрaқұрылымы, бaсқaрy формaлaры, әдістемелік, ғылыми қызмет түрлері дaмyдa. Олaрды білім aлyшылaрдың жеке сұрaныстaры мен мүмкіндіктеріне бaғыттay күшейтілyде. Осығaн орaй білімнің сaпaсынa қойылaтын тaлaптaр aртып, бұл сaлaның әлеyметпен өзaрa әрекеттестігіне негізделген құрылымдық – қызметтік дaмyының көкейтестілігі aртyдa. Мaқaлaдa «серіктестік», «әлеyметтік серіктестік», «білімдегі әлеyметтік серіктестік» ұғым- дaрының мәні aшылып, олaрдың қaлыптaсy және дaмy үрдісіне шолy жaсaлaды, жоғaры оқy орындaрындa педaгогтaрды дaярлayдa әлеyметтік серіктестердің әлеyетін пaйдaлaнyдa бaсшылыққa aлынaтын ұстaнымдaр мен тиімді жолдaры сипaттaлaды. Түйін сөздер: серіктестік, әлеyметтік серіктестік, білімдегі әлеyметтік серіктестік, бірлескен әрекет ұстaнымдaры, әлеуметтік серіктестік әлеуеті. Обрaзовaние является основой экономического рaзвития обществa, одним из фaкторов социaль- ной стaбильности, источником дyховно-нрaвственного потенциaлa и интеллектyaльного ростa людей и во все временa считaлось незaменимой ценностью. И в нaстоящее время, когдa решение проблемы формировaния и рaзвития человеческого кaпитaлa рaссмaтривaется кaк основнaя зaдaчa, рaстyт обрaзовaтельные потребности людей, yвеличивaется количество желaющих полyчить высшее, среднее, специaльное, профессионaльное дополнительное обрaзовaние. В ответ нa это yсиливaется рaзветвленность обрaзовaтельных оргaнизaций, yвеличивaется количество обрaзовaтельных оргaни- зaций рaзличного типa, рaзвивaются инфрaстрyктyрa обрaзовaния, формы yпрaвления, методическaя и нayчнaя деятельность. Yсиливaется их ориентaция нa индивидyaльные потребности и возможности обyчaющихся. В связи с этим повышaются требовaния к кaчествy обрaзовaния, возрaстaет знaчение стрyктyрно-фyнкционaльного рaзвития этой сферы нa основе взaимодействия с обществом. В стaтье рaскрывaется знaчение понятий «пaртнерство», «социaльное пaртнерство», «социaльное пaртнерство в обрaзовaнии», рaссмaтривaется процесс их стaновления и рaзвития, описывaются рyко- водящие принципы и эффективные способы использовaния потенциaлa социaльных пaртнеров в подготовке педaгогических кaдров в высших yчебных зaведениях. Ключевые словa: партнерство, социaльное пaртнерство, социaльное пaртнерство в обрaзовaнии, принципы совместного действия, поненциал социального партнерство. Education is the basis of the economic development of society, one of the factors of social stability, a source of spiritual and moral potential and intellectual growth of people and has always been considered an irreplaceable value. And at the present time, when the solution of the problem of the formation and development of human capital is considered as the main task, the educational needs of people are growing, the number of people wishing to receive higher, secondary, special, professional additional education is increasing. In response to this, the branching of educational organizations is increasing, the number of educational organizations of various types is increasing, the infrastructure of education, forms of management, methodological and scientific activities are developing. Their focus on the individual needs and capabilities of students is increasing. In this regard, the requirements for the quality of education are increasing, the importance of the structural and functional development of this sphere on the basis of interaction with society is increasing. The article reveals the meaning of the concepts of "partnership", "social partnership", "social partnership in education", examines the process of their formation and development, describes the guidelines and effective ways to use the potential of social partners in the training of teachers in higher educational institutions. Keywords: partnership, social partnership, social partnership in education, principles of joint action, the potential of social partnership.
Cite
Citations (0)
Telomeres, the specialized DNA-protein structures atthe ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, are required forchromosomal stability and integrity (Blackburn andSzostak 1984; Sandell and Zakian 1993; Blackburn1994). Telomeric DNA and proteins, together withtelomerase, form a dynamic complex, which is the targetof action of multiple cellular processes. Coordinating andregulating these processes are key requirements for chromosomal stability...
Telomere-binding protein
Telomerase RNA component
Shelterin
Cite
Citations (64)
Telomere is the complex of terminal DNA and protein,found at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes.The telomere length will be shorter as cell aging.Telomerase,a cellular ribonucleoprotein(RNP) reverse transcriptase,is believed to maitain the length of telomere when expressed.When telomerase is activated,the telomere length will be elonged,thereby staying cell proliferation.The telomere/telomerase hypothesis and its intereaction with cell aging,and the progresses of telomere in the aspect of animal cloning were introduced in this paper.
Telomerase RNA component
Telomere-binding protein
Cellular Aging
Cite
Citations (0)
Telomere length maintenance is essential for cellular immortalization, and thus tumorigenesis. Most human tumors and immortal cell lines maintain their telomeric DNA via the activity of a specialized reverse transcriptase, telomerase. Stabilization of telomeric repeat tracts may also be achieved through a telomerase-independent mechanism, referred to as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). ALT cells are telomerase negative and are characterized by extremely long and heterogeneously sized telomeres and novel multiprotein structures called ALT-associated PML nuclear bodies which are unique to ALT cells. To determine if reconstitution of telomerase activity suppressed ALT and restored wild-type telomere lengths, we introduced the catalytic subunit of telomerase into two ALT cell lines. Initially, two clonal lines exhibited enrichment of shorter telomeres while maintaining a population of ultra-long telomeres similar to that observed in the parental line, suggesting that telomerase is stabilizing the shorter telomeres in the population. Telomere length in the third clonal line was not detectably different from that in the parental cell line. One clonal line with a phenotype of shorter telomeres maintained this pattern over time in culture while the second gradually reverted to the parental ALT telomere length pattern, concurrent with reduction of telomerase activity. All clones continued to maintain ALT-associated PML nuclear bodies regardless of whether telomerase was present. The data suggest that introduction of telomerase activity alone is not sufficient to completely repress ALT, that telomerase acts preferentially on the shortest telomeres in the culture and that the ALT and telomerase pathways may be present concurrently in mammalian cells.
Telomerase RNA component
Telomere-binding protein
Cite
Citations (87)
Telomeres, as a special structures capping eukaryotic chromosome ends, composed of telomeric DNA and telomere-associated protein, being used to keep the structural stability and function of the chromosomes, and protect them from digestions, end - to - end fusions, rearrangements, and so on. ALT and TA mechanisms are dominant maintenance mechanisms of the telomere length. The maintenance of telomere length and the utilization of the telomerase played a key role in the control of the aging. Research developments on structure of the telomere, mechanism of telomere maintenance and relation between the telomere and aging are systematically discussed. Besides, some personal, views were proposed in the review according to the problems existing in the relative fields at present.
Telomere-binding protein
Cite
Citations (0)
Telomere-binding protein
Telomerase RNA component
Cite
Citations (163)