A possible new partner for telomerase
Pennisi, E.
Science 282(5393): 1395 1397
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 9867637 Document Number: 496443
In this issue, researchers report the possible discovery of a vital switch that controls cellular aging. In most cells, repetitive DNA sequences called telomeres located at the ends of chromosomes shorten each time the cell divides until the chromosomes become so ragged that the cells become senescent. In cancer cells and a few normal cells, including those that produce eggs and sperm, an enzyme called telomerase rebuilds telomeres, keeping the cell immortal. Susan Smith and colleagues at The Rockefeller University in New York City found evidence in human cells that a second enzyme they call tankyrase controls telomerase by removing another protein that otherwise prevents its access to telomeres. If correct, it may be possible to develop compounds that exploit tankyrase to control cell longevity.