Telomeres and Telomerase in the Radiation Response: Implications for Instability, Reprograming, and Carcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes comprised of tandem arrays of repetitive DNA sequence that serve to protect chromosomal termini from inappropriate degradation, as well as to prevent these natural DNA ends from being recognized as broken DNA (double-strand breaks) and triggering of inappropriate DNA damage responses. Preservation of telomere length requires telomerase, the specialized reverse transcriptase capable of maintaining telomere length via template-mediated addition of telomeric repeats onto the ends of newly synthesized chromosomes. Loss of either end-capping function or telomere length maintenance has been associated with genomic instability or senescence in a variety of settings; therefore, telomeres and telomerase have well-established connections to cancer and aging. It

SUBMITTER: Sishc BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4656829 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature