Biochemical studies on telomerase for more than two decades have provided a wealth of information regarding
telomerase function and substrate specificity.
Structural and biochemical characterization of these factors, both in isolation and in complex with one another will facilitate our understanding of how the proper function of these factors impacts
telomerase function and cell proliferation.
Augmenting and regulating
telomerase function will have to be performed with precision, walking a narrow line between cell rejuvenation and a heightened risk for cancer development.
The present study arose as the Skordalakes laboratory sought to better understand the role of TRBD in
telomerase function.
The grueling 18 months unearthed a gold mine: Lundblad's team found three genes that are crucial for
telomerase function, results that generated a flurry of groundbreaking papers from the members of her group in 1996 and 1997.
Not exact matches
By specifically targeting the pause signal that prevents restarting DNA repeat synthesis,
telomerase enzymatic
function can be supercharged to better stave off telomere length reduction, with the potential to rejuvenate aging human adult stem cells.
Studies in the last two decades revealed that telomeres and
telomerase have dual
functions in suppressing and facilitating tumorigenesis: In the adult human, the activity of
telomerase is mostly restricted to the stem cells and is absent from the vast majority of human cells.
In this context,
telomerase activity can have unfavorable effects: «We found that this enzyme allows cells with aneuploidy to bypass the protective
function of telomeres.
How does
telomerase manage to bypass the protective
function of telomeres?
This study reveals a specific
function for an RNA structure in the enzymatic action of
telomerase.
Telomerase appears most frequently in stem cells, as well as in cells that divide frequently (such as those that take part in immune
functions).
TRF2 (
Telomerase Repeat binding Factor - 2), an important shelterin component, not only protects the telomere [5, 6] but also exhibits extra-telomeric
functions [7, 8].
We also identified a «meditation effect» within the regular meditator group, characterized by a distinct network of genes with cellular
functions that may be relevant to healthy aging, and this network was associated with increased expression of a number of telomere maintenance pathway genes and an increase in measured
telomerase enzymatic activity.
The method by which
telomerase and associated regulatory factors physically interact and
function with each other to maintain appropriate telomere length is poorly understood.
In recent years, several reports (1 - 10) have emerged claiming to have uncovered such
functions, but generally in vitro and in nearly all cases under unphysiologically high and / or persistent forced expression of the
telomerase gene.
This little - heralded, meticulous investigation into the effects of ablation of the
telomerase catalytic subunit in mice with human - like telomeres provides us with strong reassurance that, should it prove to be the preferred approach for implementing the OncoSENS strategy, the effects of knocking out TERT would be limited to those dictated by the loss of telomere - lengthening per se, and would not lead to an unintentional loss of some essential but hitherto - unknown phsyiological
function.
The strongest challenge to this approach, granting the periodic replenishment of somatic stem - cell pools with autologous but OncoSENS - ready stem cells, has been the possible existence of
functions of TERT (
telomerase reverse transcriptase — the catalytic subunit of
telomerase), other than the lengthening of telomeres itself.
Phenotypes in mTERT ⁺ / ⁻ and mTERT ⁻ / ⁻ mice are due to short telomeres, not telomere - independent
functions of
telomerase reverse transcriptase.
TA - 65 increases
telomerase activity, and improves immune
function and bone strength.
Some of the observed effects could be due to the relaxation response in both groups (e.g., improved depression), while the effects on cognitive and mental
functioning and
telomerase activity were specific to the Kirtan Kriya.»