Extended longevity of termite kings and queens is accompanied by extranuclear localization of telomerase in somatic organs and caste-specific expression of its isoforms.

ABSTRACT: Kings and queens of termites are endowed with an extraordinary longevity coupled with lifelong fecundity. We recently reported that termite kings and queens display a dramatically increased enzymatic activity and abundance of telomerase in their somatic organs when compared to short-lived workers and soldiers. We hypothesized that this telomerase activation may represent a noncanonical pro-longevity function, independent of its canonical role in telomere maintenance. Here, we explore this avenue and investigate whether the presumed noncanonical role of telomerase may be due to alternative splicing of the catalytic telomerase subunit TERT and whether the subcellular localization of TERT isoforms differs among organs and castes in the termite Prorhinotermes simplex. We empirically confirm th

SUBMITTER: Pangracova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11976694 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature