<i>S. pombe</i> telomerase RNA: secondary structure and flexible-scaffold function.

ABSTRACT: The telomerase RNA-protein enzyme is critical for most eukaryotes to complete genome copying by extending chromosome ends, thus solving the end-replication problem and postponing senescence. Despite the importance of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to biomedical research, very little is known about the structure of its 1212 nt telomerase RNA. We have determined the secondary structure of this large RNA, TER1, based on phylogenetics and bioinformatic modeling, as well as genetic and biochemical analyses. We find that several conserved regions of the rapidly evolving TER1 RNA are important for the ability of telomerase to maintain telomeres, based on testing truncation mutants in vivo, whereas, overall, many other large regions are dispensable. This is similar to bu

SUBMITTER: McMurdie K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11870620 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature