Template boundary definition in mammalian telomerase.
Telomerase uses a short template sequence in its intrinsic RNA component to synthesize telomere repeats. Disruption of the helix P1b in human telomerase RNA or alteration of its distance from the template resulted in telomerase copying residues past the normal template boundary both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, helix P1b is important for template boundary definition in human telomerase. Mouse telomerase RNA lacks helix P1b, and the boundary is established at 2 nt downstream of the 5'-end. The divergent structure of boundary definition elements in mammals, yeast, and ciliates suggests diverse mechanisms for template boundary definition in telomerase.
Chen
Jiunn-Liang
JL
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Greider
Carol W
CW
D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007716:Kluyveromyces / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D019098:Telomerase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D016808:Tetrahymena thermophila / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase