Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Telomere dynamics in human cells.

Duncan M Baird1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK. bairddm@cardiff.ac.uk <bairddm@cardiff.ac.uk>

Biochimie
|September 15, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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

TeloNet is born: why all specialities need to be aware of telomere biology disorders.

Frontiers in medicine·2026
Same author

Telomere Dysfunction and Proteostasis Decline Define Distinct Pathways of Cellular Senescence in the Human Respiratory Tract.

Aging cell·2026
Same author

Mitotic microhomology-mediated break-induced replication promotes chromoanasynthesis.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

GW: ultra-fast chromosome-scale visualization of genomics data.

Nature methods·2025
Same author

hTERT Increases TRF2 to Induce Telomere Compaction and Extend Cell Replicative Lifespan.

Aging cell·2025
Same author

Clinical Use of ZSCAN4 for Telomere Elongation in Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

NEJM evidence·2025
Same journal

Differential cardiac microRNA expression in anoxic Trachemys scripta elegans turtles.

Biochimie·2026
Same journal

Renal failure-driven luminal ammonia production impairs gut barrier function in CKD.

Biochimie·2026
Same journal

Conditional Knockout of Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase-1 in Osteoprogenitor Cells in Mice Results in Sex-dependent Differences in Bone Mass.

Biochimie·2026
Same journal

Sedentariness disrupts, while exercise restores, thermogenic and metabolic plasticity in inguinal adipose tissue of mice.

Biochimie·2026
Same journal

Chrononutrition as a modulator of retinal metabolic resilience: A translational framework linking circadian biology to ocular disease.

Biochimie·2026
Same journal

Heterologous expression, purification, and biophysical characterisation of the cobalt-dependent nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC BAA-870.

Biochimie·2026
See all related articles

Human telomeres exhibit length variations due to gradual erosion and sporadic large deletions. These telomere length changes, particularly severe truncations, can drive genetic instability and potentially lead to cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Human telomeres are dynamic structures exhibiting significant length heterogeneity.
  • Telomere length is influenced by factors including the end-replication problem, C-strand resection, and cell culture conditions.
  • Sporadic large-scale telomere length changes occur in normal cells and tissues, distinct from gradual erosion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the biological processes that generate telomere length heterogeneity in human cells.
  • To explore mechanisms underlying sporadic telomere deletions and their potential role in genetic instability.
  • To analyze the relative contributions of different processes to observed telomere length profiles.

Main Methods:

  • Review and discussion of established biological processes affecting telomere length.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of mechanisms such as end-replication, C-strand resection, and T-loop recombination.
  • Consideration of unequal sister chromatid exchange and replication fork stalling.

    • Main Results:

    • Gradual telomere erosion occurs with cell division due to end-replication and resection.
    • Sporadic large telomere deletions, potentially fusogenic, are observed in normal human cells.
    • Potential mechanisms for sporadic deletions include intra-allelic recombination, unequal sister chromatid exchange, and replication fork stalling.

    Conclusions:

    • Telomere length heterogeneity arises from both gradual erosion and sporadic deletion events.
    • Severely truncated telomeres may contribute to genetic rearrangements characteristic of early neoplasia.
    • The precise mechanisms and relative contributions of processes generating telomere heterogeneity require further investigation.