Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Telomere loss: mitotic clock or genetic time bomb?

¹Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., Canada.

Mutation Research

|March 1, 1991

Summary

Cellular senescence, the finite proliferative capacity of somatic cells, is linked to telomere shortening. Telomere length and telomerase activity serve as markers for cellular aging and proliferative potential.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Aging of cultured human skin fibroblasts.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2011

Same author

Ribozyme cleavage of telomerase mRNA sensitizes breast epithelial cells to inhibitors of topoisomerase.

Cancer research·2001

Same author

How long should telomeres be?

Current hypertension reports·2001

Same author

Telomerase expression restores dermal integrity to in vitro-aged fibroblasts in a reconstituted skin model.

Experimental cell research·2000

Same author

Laying hold on eternal life?

Nature biotechnology·2000

Same author

Telomere-dependent senescence.

Nature biotechnology·1999

Area of Science:

Gerontology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Cellular senescence limits somatic cell proliferation.
Olovnikov's 1973 theory proposed DNA loss at chromosome ends (telomeres) limits replication.
Telomeres stabilize chromosome ends and act as a mitotic clock.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the mechanism of finite proliferative capacity in somatic cells.
Explore the role of telomeres and telomerase in cellular aging and senescence.
Determine if telomere length and telomerase activity are markers of replicative history.

Main Methods:

Observational studies on human somatic cell telomere length in vitro and in vivo.
Analysis of telomere length in sperm and germ line cells.
Assay of telomerase activity in various cell types, including normal somatic cells, immortalized cells, and tumor cell lines.

Main Results:

Human somatic cell telomeres shorten with age in a replication-dependent manner.
Sperm telomeres are longer than somatic telomeres and are maintained with age.
Telomerase activity is present in immortal cells and tumor lines but absent in normal somatic cells.

Conclusions:

Telomere shortening acts as a mitotic clock, contributing to cellular senescence.
Telomerase activation may be crucial for cell immortalization and is found in cancer cells.
Telomere length and telomerase activity are indicators of cellular replicative history and potential.

Related Experiment Videos