Telomerase activity in germline and embryonic cells of Xenopus.
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein which synthesizes telomere repeats onto chromosome ends. Telomerase activity is involved in telomere length maintenance. We used Xenopus laevis as a model system to study the expression of telomerase activity in germline cells and during early development. We identified a non-processive telomerase activity in manually dissected nuclei of Xenopus stage VI oocytes. Telomerase activity was detected throughout oogenesis and embryogenesis. Telomerase was active in both S and M phase cell cycle extracts, suggesting that telomerase activity is not regulated with chromosomal DNA replication.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY 11724.
L L
LL
Mantell
C W
CW
Greider
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008938:Mitosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009866:Oogenesis; D010063:Ovum / Q000201:enzymology*; D016196:S Phase; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*; D016615:Telomere; D013768:Tetrahymena; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D017931:DNA Primers; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase