Regulation of murine telomere length via Rtel.
Normal somatic cells have a finite replicative capacity. With each cell division, telomeres (the physical ends of linear chromosomes) progressively shorten until they reach a critical length, at which point the cells enter replicative senescence. Some cells can maintain telomere length by the action of the telomerase enzyme. A recent article described in detail the organization and function of Rtel, a murine gene encoding a DNA helicase-like protein. The Rtel protein was found to be essential for genomic stability and embryonic development and survival, and is proposed to be a dominant regulator of murine telomere length.
Flanary
Barry
B
Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, 100 Newell Dr., L1-100, Gainesville, FL 32610-0244, USA. beflana@ufl.edu
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics*; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics*; D020043:Genes, Essential; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D051379:Mice; D009115:Muridae / Q000235:genetics; D016615:Telomere / Q000502:physiology*
D004265:DNA Helicases