Fundamental mechanisms of telomerase action in yeasts and mammals: understanding telomeres and telomerase in cancer cells

Aberrant activation of telomerase occurs in 85–90% of all cancers and underpins the ability of cancer cells to bypass their proliferative limit, rendering them immortal. The activity of telomerase is tightly controlled at multiple levels, from transcriptional regulation of the telomerase components...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Open biology 2017-03, Vol.7 (3), p.160338
Main Authors: Armstrong, Christine A., Tomita, Kazunori
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cell Proliferation
Enzyme Activation
Hayflick Limit
Humans
Neoplasms - genetics
Neoplasms - metabolism
Replicative Senescence
Review
s. pombe
Saccharomycetales - chemistry
Saccharomycetales - enzymology
Saccharomycetales - genetics
Saccharomycetales - metabolism
Schizosaccharomyces - chemistry
Schizosaccharomyces - enzymology
Schizosaccharomyces - genetics
Schizosaccharomyces - metabolism
Shelterin
T-Stumps
Telomerase - analysis
Telomerase - genetics
Telomerase - metabolism
Telomere - chemistry
Telomere - genetics
Telomere - metabolism
Telomere Homeostasis
Telomere Length Homeostasis
Transcriptional Activation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Aberrant activation of telomerase occurs in 85–90% of all cancers and underpins the ability of cancer cells to bypass their proliferative limit, rendering them immortal. The activity of telomerase is tightly controlled at multiple levels, from transcriptional regulation of the telomerase components to holoenzyme biogenesis and recruitment to the telomere, and finally activation and processivity. However, studies using cancer cell lines and other model systems have begun to reveal features of telomeres and telomerase that are unique to cancer. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the mechanisms of telomerase recruitment and activation using insights from studies in mammals and budding and fission yeasts. Finally, we discuss the differences in telomere homeostasis between normal cells and cancer cells, which may provide a foundation for telomere/telomerase targeted cancer treatments.
ISSN:2046-2441
2046-2441
DOI:10.1098/rsob.160338