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Related Concept Videos

Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
Replication in Eukaryotes01:29

Replication in Eukaryotes

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
Replication in Eukaryotes02:31

Replication in Eukaryotes

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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
12:08

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

Published on: May 22, 2013

Telomerase activity coevolves with body mass not lifespan.

Andrei Seluanov1, Zhuoxun Chen, Christopher Hine

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.

Aging Cell
|December 19, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomere length, is repressed in the somatic cells of larger rodents. This suggests that body mass, not lifespan, drives the evolution of cancer suppression mechanisms.

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Telomerase Activity in the Various Regions of Mouse Brain: Non-Radioactive Telomerase Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) Assay
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Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer
08:34

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer

Published on: April 13, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Cancer research

Background:

  • Telomerase is essential for telomere maintenance in germline cells but typically repressed in somatic cells of humans, leading to replicative senescence.
  • Rodent species exhibit diverse lifespans and body masses, providing a model to study the evolution of telomerase regulation.
  • The hypothesis posits that telomerase repression in somatic cells is a tumor-suppressor adaptation in large, long-lived organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the coevolution of telomerase activity regulation with lifespan and body mass in rodents.
  • To determine if somatic telomerase repression is linked to cancer suppression in species with different life histories.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of telomerase activity across 15 rodent species.
  • Correlation of telomerase activity with species-specific lifespans and body masses.

Main Results:

  • Telomerase activity in somatic cells does not coevolve with lifespan across the studied rodent species.
  • Somatic telomerase activity significantly coevolves with body mass, with larger rodents exhibiting repressed telomerase.
  • Evidence suggests a link between larger body mass and increased cancer risk, prompting evolutionary adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • The repression of telomerase in somatic cells has evolved as a mechanism to mitigate cancer risk associated with large body mass, rather than long lifespan.
  • Body mass is a significant factor in the evolutionary pressures shaping cancer suppression strategies in mammals.