The human telomerase RNA component, hTR, activates the DNA-dependent protein kinase to phosphorylate heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1.

ABSTRACT: Telomere integrity in human cells is maintained by the dynamic interplay between telomerase, telomere associated proteins, and DNA repair proteins. These interactions are vital to suppress DNA damage responses and unfavorable changes in chromosome dynamics. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is critical for this process. Cells deficient for functional DNA-PKcs show increased rates of telomere loss, accompanied by chromosomal fusions and translocations. Treatment of cells with specific DNA-PK kinase inhibitors leads to similar phenotypes. These observations indicate that the kinase activity of DNA-PK is required for its function at telomeres possibly through phosphorylation of essential proteins needed for telomere length maintenance. Here we show that the heterogeneous nuclear ribon

SUBMITTER: Ting NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2764450 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature