Large telomerase RNA, telomere length heterogeneity and escape from senescence in Candida glabrata

• Published in: FEBS letters 2009-11, Vol.583 (22), p.3605-3610
• Main Authors: Kachouri-Lafond, R., Dujon, B., Gilson, E., Westhof, E., Fairhead, C., Teixeira, M.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Blotting, Southern; Candida glabrata; Candida glabrata - enzymology; Candida glabrata - genetics; Candida glabrata - growth & development; Cell Division; Cellular Biology; deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Fungal; DNA, Fungal - genetics; Flow Cytometry; Gene Deletion; kbp; kilo base pairs; Life Sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Nucleic Acid Conformation; reverse transcriptase; ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA - chemistry; RNA - genetics; RNA, Fungal; RNA, Fungal - chemistry; RNA, Fungal - genetics; Senescence; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Subtelomere; Telomerase; Telomerase - chemistry; Telomerase - genetics; Telomerase RNA; Telomere; Telomere - genetics; telomere position effect; terminal restriction fragment; TPE; TRF
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.10.034

Telomerase, the key enzyme essential for the maintenance of eukaryotic chromosome ends, contains a reverse transcriptase and an RNA that provides the template for the synthesis of telomeric repeats. Here, we characterize the telomerase subunits in the hemiascomycete yeast Candida glabrata. We propose a secondary structure model for the telomerase RNA that is the largest described to date. Telomerase deletion mutants show a progressive shortening of telomeres and a modest loss of viability. Frequent post-senescence survivors emerge that possess long telomeric repeat tracts. We suggest that the high telomere length heterogeneity accounts for this distinct senescence phenotype.