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Related Experiment Videos

Structure and function of telomerase RNA.

Carla A Theimer1, Juli Feigon

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|May 23, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Telomerase maintains genomic stability using telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TER). Recent structural and biochemical studies reveal conserved elements and minimal domains essential for telomerase function across species.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Telomere maintenance by telomerase is crucial for genomic stability and cell viability in diverse organisms.
  • Telomerase comprises telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TER) as minimal catalytic components.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advance the biophysical characterization of telomerase RNAs (TERs) across species.
  • To elucidate the structural basis of TER function through determination of key domain structures.
  • To identify conserved structural elements and minimal functional domains of TERs through phylogenetic and biochemical analyses.

Main Methods:

  • Biophysical characterization of telomerase RNAs.
  • Determination of structural domains of human and Tetrahymena thermophila TERs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Biochemical and phylogenetic analyses of yeast TERs.

    • Main Results:

    • First structures reported for catalytically essential human TER domains (pseudoknot, CR4/CR5).
    • Characterization of Tetrahymena thermophila telomerase holoenzyme components and structures of TER template boundary element and TERT N-terminal domain.
    • Identification of conserved core structural elements in yeast TERs, similar to ciliates and vertebrates, and minimal functional domains.

    Conclusions:

    • Structural insights into TERs provide a basis for interpreting mutational and biochemical data.
    • Conserved structural elements and minimal domains are essential for telomerase function in vivo.
    • Advances in TER structure determination enhance understanding of telomere maintenance mechanisms.