title: Expression of targeted ribozyme against telomerase RNA causes altered expression of several other genes in tumor cells.
abstract: Telomeres are tandem repeat sequences present at chromosome end that are synthesized by RNA-protein enzyme called telomerase. The RNA component (TR) serves as template for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) for generating telomere repeats. TERT is overexpressed in actively dividing cells including cancerous cells, absent in differentiated somatic cells whereas human telomerase RNA (hTR) is present in normal as well as in cancer cells. Telomerase overexpression in cancer cells ensures telomere length maintenance that actually provides proliferative advantage to cells. Stable expression of ribozyme against hTR in HeLa cells results in reduction of hTR levels, telomerase activity, and telomere length which is accompanied by altered cell morphology and expression of several specific cellular genes. The altered genes deduced from differentially display PCR and 2D gel electrophoresis upon hTR knockdown have function in ribosome biogenesis, chromatin modulation, cell cycle control, and p63-dependant pathways. Our observations shows hTR participates in diverse cellular functions other than telomere maintenance, validates as a possible drug targets in p53- and pRB-negative status, and indicated possible cross-talks between telomerase and other cellular pathways.
authors.affiliation: Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Suresh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.forename: Akhil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varshney
authors.forename: Amod
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Bhudev C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Pramod K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Yadava
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D020543:Proteome; D012313:RNA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000235:genetics*; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2 / Q000502:physiology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; C070050:KDM5A protein, human; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2; D019098:Telomerase