Strict control of telomerase activation using Cre-mediated inversion.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Human cells appear exquisitely sensitive to the levels of hTERT expression, the telomerase reverse transcriptase. In primary cells that do not express hTERT, telomeres erode with each successive cell division, leading to the eventual loss of telomere DNA, an induction of a telomere DNA damage response, and the onset of cellular senescence or crisis. In some instances, an average of less than one appropriately spliced hTERT transcript per cell appears sufficient to restore telomerase activity and telomere maintenance, and overcome finite replicative capacity.

Results

To underscore this sensitivity, we showed that a widely used system of transcriptional induction involving ecdysone (muristerone) led to sufficient expression of hTERT to immortalize human fibroblasts,

SUBMITTER: Ungrin MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1403769 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature