Telomere capping in Drosophila: dealing with chromosome ends that most resemble DNA breaks.
Telomere caps prevent chromosome ends from being recognized as DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Unlike most organisms studied, the telomere-capping function of Drosophila does not require a specific sequence. Without this sequence component, Drosophila telomeres most resemble DNA breaks and, thus, represent a simpler system for the study of telomere capping. I review recent progress in Drosophila telomere studies, and challenge the notion that Drosophila may not be a relevant model for the study of telomere maintenance.
Rong
Yikang S
YS
Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. rongy@mail.nih.gov
D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D053960:DNA Breaks; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins