title: Telomere protein complexes and interactions with telomerase in telomere maintenance.
abstract: Telomeres are the termini of linear chromosomes. They are composed of DNA and DNA-binding proteins critical for maintaining chromosome integrity and cellular function. Telomere binding proteins regulate the structure and function of telomeres through the formation of different complexes with telomeric DNA. Double- and single-stranded telomeric DNA binding protein complexes have shared and unique functions that regulate telomere homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that telomerase interacts with several telomere-binding protein complexes including shelterin, CST, DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and MRN. The present review describes the recognised telomere-binding protein complexes, sub-complex exchanges and inter-complex molecular interactions. It also discusses the evidence suggesting that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) switches between different complexes. Studies of the telomere protein inter-complex interactions and the switching of components between complexes provide insight into their fundamental roles of programming telomere length and configuration, and thus cell proliferative potential.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Signaling Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexander Ruvantha
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: Jun-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000089804:Shelterin Complex; D019098:Telomerase / Q000502:physiology*; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C452219:Cdc13 protein, S cerevisiae; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D000089804:Shelterin Complex; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins; D004247:DNA; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; D019098:Telomerase