title: Defending the end zone: studying the players involved in protecting chromosome ends.
abstract: The linear nature of eukaryotic chromosomes leaves natural DNA ends susceptible to triggering DNA damage responses. Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures that comprise the "end zone" of chromosomes. Besides having specialized sequences and structures, there are six resident proteins at telomeres that play prominent roles in protecting chromosome ends. In this review, we discuss this team of proteins, termed shelterin, and how it is involved in regulating DNA damage signaling, repair and replication at telomeres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, The MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D043283:Chromosome Fragile Sites / Q000235:genetics*; D053960:DNA Breaks; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D000089804:Shelterin Complex; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000089804:Shelterin Complex; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins; D019098:Telomerase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase