Telomerase RNA TERC and the PI3K-AKT pathway form a positive feedback loop to regulate cell proliferation independent of telomerase activity.

ABSTRACT: The core catalytic unit of telomerase comprises telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TERC). Unlike TERT, which is predominantly expressed in cancer and stem cells, TERC is ubiquitously expressed in normal somatic cells without telomerase activity. However, the functions of TERC in these telomerase-negative cells remain elusive. Here, we reported positive feedback regulation between TERC and the PI3K-AKT pathway that controlled cell proliferation independent of telomerase activity in human fibroblasts. Mechanistically, we revealed that TERC activated the transcription of target genes from the PI3K-AKT pathway, such as PDPK1, by targeting their promoters. Overexpression of PDPK1 partially rescued the deficiency of AKT activation caused by TERC depletion. Furthermore, w

SUBMITTER: Wu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9023280 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature