Publication

TFIIH moonlighting at telomeres

Joachim Lingner
2022
Journal paper

Abstract

Although telomeres are essential for chromosome stability, they represent fragile structures in our genome. Telomere shortening occurs during aging in cells lacking telomerase due to the end replication problem. In addition, recent work uncovered that the bulk of telomeric DNA poses severe hurdles for the semiconservative DNA replication machinery, requiring the assistance of an increasing number of specialized factors that prevent accidental telomere loss or damage events. In this issue of Genes & Development, Yang and colleagues (pp. 956-969) discover that TFIIH, a basic component of the PolII transcription initiation and nucleotide excision repair machinery, facilitates telomere replication. TFIIH is recruited to telomeres by the shelterin component TRF1, taking on at telomeres a moonlighting function.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/300136?ln=en

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Related concepts (26)

DNA replication

In molecular biology, DNA replication is the biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from one original DNA molecule. DNA replication occurs in all living organisms acting as the most essential part of biological inheritance. This is essential for cell division during growth and repair of damaged tissues, while it also ensures that each of the new cells receives its own copy of the DNA. The cell possesses the distinctive property of division, which makes replication of DNA essential.

Telomere

A telomere (ˈtɛləmɪər,_ˈtiːlə-; ) is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences associated with specialized proteins at the ends of linear chromosomes. Telomeres are a widespread genetic feature most commonly found in eukaryotes. In most, if not all species possessing them, they protect the terminal regions of chromosomal DNA from progressive degradation and ensure the integrity of linear chromosomes by preventing DNA repair systems from mistaking the very ends of the DNA strand for a double-strand break.

Telomerase

Telomerase, also called terminal transferase, is a ribonucleoprotein that adds a species-dependent telomere repeat sequence to the 3' end of telomeres. A telomere is a region of repetitive sequences at each end of the chromosomes of most eukaryotes. Telomeres protect the end of the chromosome from DNA damage or from fusion with neighbouring chromosomes. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster lacks telomerase, but instead uses retrotransposons to maintain telomeres. Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase enzyme that carries its own RNA molecule (e.

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