Leishmania mexicana telomeres at high resolution: Ku80, TERT, and alternative lengthening mechanisms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Telomeres are known to be important for Leishmania biology but the mechanistic of how the process of telomere maintenance contributes to genome stability remains an unanswered question. Their maintenance is most commonly facilitated by the telomerase ribonucleoprotein complex that elongates telomeres countering their natural shortening due to the incomplete DNA replication in each cell cycle. In some organisms, telomere maintenance is achieved through telomerase-independent mechanisms, such as the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathways described in yeasts with dysfunctional telomerase and some rare telomerase-negative human cancer cells. Molecular markers for the ALT pathway include presence of the heterogeneous (in their length and sequence) telomeres, high

SUBMITTER: Alpizar-Sosa EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12676763 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature