Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
08:26
Semi-quantitative Detection of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Activity of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein
Published on: June 12, 2018
Telomerase: an RNP enzyme synthesizes DNA
Elizabeth H Blackburn1, Kathleen Collins
1University of California-San Francisco, CA 94158-2517, USA. elizabeth.blackburn@ucsf.edu
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|July 28, 2010
Summary
Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme, maintains chromosome ends by synthesizing telomeric DNA. Its RNA component, crucial for this function, shows diverse evolution, impacting enzyme assembly and regulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enzyme essential for maintaining telomere length in eukaryotes.
- Telomeres protect chromosome ends from degradation and fusion, counteracting DNA replication attrition.
- Telomerase activity is vital for cellular aging and cancer, making it a key research target.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe conserved structural features of telomerase RNA (TER) critical for its polymerase activity.
- To explore the evolutionary diversification of TERs and its impact on telomerase function.
- To elucidate the interplay between RNA and protein components in telomerase RNP enzymes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of telomerase RNA structures across eukaryotic species.
- Bioinformatic approaches to identify conserved and divergent RNA motifs.
- Review of existing literature on telomerase biogenesis, trafficking, and regulation.
Main Results:
- A core set of TER structural features, including a pseudoknot-plus-template domain, are conserved for polymerase activity.
- TERs exhibit significant evolutionary diversity in size and sequence, particularly in motifs involved in RNP biogenesis and regulation.
- Functional roles of TERs extend beyond templating, encompassing enzyme assembly, cellular localization, and activity regulation.
Conclusions:
- Telomerase RNA structure is conserved for core enzymatic function but diversified for regulatory roles.
- Evolutionary gain-of-function elaborations in TERs drive RNP assembly, trafficking, and telomere regulation.
- Telomerase serves as a model system for understanding RNA-protein interactions in RNP enzymes.
Related Concept Videos
02:41Telomeres 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.
02:41Telomeres 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.
02:31Replication in Eukaryotes
Overview
01:29Replication 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...
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
01:59Lagging Strand Synthesis
During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
00:43Bacterial RNA Polymerase
Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...