Telomerase: biochemical considerations for enzyme and substrate

Telomerase extends chromosome ends by iterative reverse transcription of its RNA template. Following the addition of each telomeric repeat, the RNA template and the telomeric substrate reset their relative position in the active site provided by the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). This step...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in Biochemical Sciences 2002-11, Vol.27 (11), p.572-579
Main Authors: Kelleher, Colleen, Teixeira, M.Teresa, Förstemann, Klaus, Lingner, Joachim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Binding Sites
DNA replication
DNA-Binding Proteins
Humans
reverse transcriptase
ribonucleoprotein
RNA - genetics
RNA - metabolism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - enzymology
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics
Substrate Specificity
telomerase
Telomerase - genetics
Telomerase - metabolism
telomeres
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Summary:Telomerase extends chromosome ends by iterative reverse transcription of its RNA template. Following the addition of each telomeric repeat, the RNA template and the telomeric substrate reset their relative position in the active site provided by the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). This step might require the formation of guanine-rich secondary structures in the nascent product. Results from numerous studies begin to delineate TERT sub-domains that orchestrate these events and support the model of cooperative action between distinct active sites within telomerase multimers. Natural telomere substrates are protein–DNA complexes that show an asymmetry between the two ends of a chromosome, possibly reflecting their differential mode of replication. Mechanism and structure of the cellular reverse transcriptase telomerase and how it counteracts sequence losses at chromosome ends which arise upon DNA replication by the semiconservative DNA replication machinery.
ISSN:0968-0004
1362-4326
DOI:10.1016/S0968-0004(02)02206-5