The mouse telomerase RNA 5"-end lies just upstream of the telomerase template sequence.
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme with an essential RNA component. Embedded within the telomerase RNA is a template sequence for telomere synthesis. We have characterized the structure of the 5' regions of the human and mouse telomerase-RNA genes, and have found a striking difference in the location of the template sequence: Whereas the 5'-end of the human telomerase RNA lies 45 nt from the telomerase-RNA template sequence, the 5'-end of the mouse telomerase RNA lies just 2 nt from the telomerase-RNA template sequence. Analysis of genomic sequences flanking the 5'-end of the human and mouse telomerase RNA-coding sequences reveals similar promoter-element arrangements typical of mRNA-type promoters: a TATA box-like element and an upstream region containing a consensus CCAAT box. This putative promoter structure contrasts with that of the ciliate telomerase-RNA genes whose structure resembles RNA polymerase III U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters. These and other comparisons suggest that, during evolution, both the RNA-polymerase specificity of telomerase RNA-gene promoters and, more recently, the position of the template sequence in the telomerase RNA changed.
Hinkley
C S
CS
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, PO Box 100, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
Blasco
M A
MA
Funk
W D
WD
Feng
J
J
Villeponteau
B
B
Greider
C W
CW
Herr
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D016385:TATA Box; D019098:Telomerase / Q000737:chemistry*; D013698:Templates, Genetic
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase