Related Experiment Videos
Telomerase activity in plant cells
J Fajkus1, A Kovarík, R Královics
1Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic. fajkus@zoncna.ibp.cz
FEBS Letters
|August 12, 1996
Summary
Plant cells possess telomerase, an enzyme crucial for maintaining telomeres. This ribonucleoprotein enzyme elongates telomeric DNA, preventing cell cycle arrest caused by telomere shortening in Nicotiana tabacum.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Science
- Genetics
Background:
- Telomeres shorten with each cell division due to incomplete DNA replication.
- Critical telomere shortening triggers cell cycle arrest in human somatic cells.
- The role of telomerase in plant genetic material metabolism was previously unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of telomerase in plant cells.
- To determine if telomerase activity contributes to telomere maintenance in Nicotiana tabacum.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Nicotiana tabacum strain TBY-2, a stable long-term cell culture.
- Performed a direct telomerase assay using a labeled plant telomeric oligonucleotide.
- Analyzed telomerase activity by observing oligonucleotide elongation in cell extracts.
- Assessed the effect of RNase A on telomerase-mediated elongation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated telomerase activity in Nicotiana tabacum TBY-2 cell extracts.
- Observed a characteristic pausing pattern during telomeric DNA elongation, typical of telomerases.
- Confirmed that RNase A pretreatment inhibited telomerase-mediated elongation, indicating a ribonucleoprotein nature.
Conclusions:
- Plant cells, specifically Nicotiana tabacum, possess active telomerase.
- Telomerase plays a role in the maintenance of plant telomeres.
- The enzyme's ribonucleoprotein nature is conserved across different organisms.