Molecular biology. Telomeres keep on rappin'.
Many molecules help maintain the ends of chromosomes, which get chewed off as cells age. Lundblad in her provocative Perspective now tells us about another protein, hRap1, that regulates the length of telomeres in human cells with the help of the TRF proteins. The homology between hRap1 and its counterpart in yeast suggests how the complex molecular machinery needed to maintain chromosome ends may have evolved.
Lundblad
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Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. lundblad@bcm.tmc.edu
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019483:Disintegrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D004718:Saccharomycetales; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D016615:Telomere / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019483:Disintegrins; C410348:MIG-17 protein, C elegans; D035341:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2; D004247:DNA; D019098:Telomerase; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases