Telomere position effect: regulation of gene expression with progressive telomere shortening over long distances.

ABSTRACT: While global chromatin conformation studies are emerging, very little is known about the chromatin conformation of human telomeres. Most studies have focused on the role of telomeres as a tumor suppressor mechanism. Here we describe how telomere length regulates gene expression long before telomeres become short enough to produce a DNA damage response (senescence). We directly mapped the interactions adjacent to specific telomere ends using a Hi-C (chromosome capture followed by high-throughput sequencing) technique modified to enrich for specific genomic regions. We demonstrate that chromosome looping brings the telomere close to genes up to 10 Mb away from the telomere when telomeres are long and that the same loci become separated when telomeres are short. Furthermore, expression array

SUBMITTER: Robin JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4233240 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature