Telomere-related components are coordinately synthesized during human T-lymphocyte activation

• Published in: Leukemia research 1999-12, Vol.23 (12), p.1097-1103
• Main Authors: Kosciolek, Barbara A, Rowley, Peter T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; DNA Replication; Enzyme Activation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gene Expression Regulation; hTERT; Humans; Immunobiology; Lymphocyte; Lymphocyte activation; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Lymphoid cells: ontogeny, maturation, markers, receptors, circulation and recirculation; Phytohemagglutinins - pharmacology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Telomerase; Telomerase - genetics; Telomerase - metabolism; Telomere; Telomere - metabolism
• ISSN: 0145-2126; 1873-5835
• DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2126(99)00134-4

Since telomerase activity is present in most malignant cells, but absent in most normal cells, its induction in normal cells warrants scrutiny. Therefore we have analyzed the inducibility of telomere-related components in normal lymphocytes during their activation. Telomerase activity increased over 400-fold, telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA 52×, telomerase RNA 32×, TTAGGG repeat binding factor l mRNA 19×, TTAGGG repeat binding factor 2 mRNA 20×, and telomerase-associated protein mRNA 17×. The peak value for each was reached at about 72 h. However hTERT rose fastest and synchronously with telomerase activity. Thus in normal human lymphocytes (1) the syntheses of all cloned telomerase-related components are coordinately regulated and (2) hTERT may have a priming role.