Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
12:08
Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Telomeres and telomerase: revealing the end game
Julieta Rivosecchi1, Guanhui Wu1, Thomas R Cech1
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Telomeres protect chromosome ends, requiring telomerase for replication. Advances in technology illuminate telomere biology, informing new therapies for related disorders and cancers.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Eukaryotic chromosomes have linear DNA molecules requiring specialized protection and replication mechanisms.
- Telomeres, composed of DNA repeats and proteins, cap chromosome ends.
- Telomeric DNA replication depends on telomerase, a reverse transcriptase with an RNA subunit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current understanding of telomere biology.
- To highlight how new technologies are advancing telomere research.
- To connect basic science findings to therapeutic strategies for telomere-related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Cryogenic electron microscopy
- Long-read DNA sequencing
- Literature review of telomere biology and associated disorders
Main Results:
- New technologies provide deeper insights into telomere structure and function.
- Mutations affecting telomere maintenance cause telomere biology disorders.
- Telomerase activation is implicated in various cancers.
Conclusions:
- Basic research in telomere biology is crucial for developing treatments.
- Understanding telomere replication and protection mechanisms informs therapeutic approaches.
- Targeting telomere maintenance pathways offers potential for cancer therapy and treating telomere biology disorders.
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.
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...
02:31Replication in Eukaryotes
Overview
02:15Replicative 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...
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The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...