Greider C W
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1994 Apr;4(2):203-11. doi: 10.1016/s0959-437x(05)80046-2.
Telomeres are essential for stable chromosome maintenance. The simple G-rich sequence motif d(TTAGGG)n is all that is required in cis for telomere function in mammalian cells, as in other eukaryotes. Using this fact, telomeres have been used to specifically fragment mammalian chromosomes to dissect their structure and function. Telomere length maintenance is altered in cancer cells. Trans-acting factors, such as telomerase and telomere-binding proteins, may determine telomere function in both normal and cancer cells. Current experiments are aimed at understanding the role of telomerase and telomere-binding proteins in cellular senescence and immortalization.
端粒对于稳定的染色体维持至关重要。与其他真核生物一样，简单的富含G的序列基序d(TTAGGG)n是哺乳动物细胞中端粒功能顺式作用所必需的全部要素。利用这一事实，端粒已被用于特异性切割哺乳动物染色体，以剖析其结构和功能。癌细胞中端粒长度维持发生改变。诸如端粒酶和端粒结合蛋白等反式作用因子可能决定正常细胞和癌细胞中的端粒功能。目前的实验旨在了解端粒酶和端粒结合蛋白在细胞衰老和永生化中的作用。
