Telomeres are transcribed into non-coding TElomeric Repeat containing RNAs (TERRA). We have employed a transcriptionally inducible telomere to investigate how telomere transcription affects telomere function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report that telomere shortening resulting from high levels of telomere transcription stems from a DNA replication-dependent loss of telomere tracts, which ca...

Telomere length is an indicator of biological age, influenced mainly by oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions. shortens with advancing however in certain situations this shortening expedites early senile changes while other it can be delayed resulting slowing ageing. Ageing a factor associated number diseases also treatment decision lethal directly the age. However, understanding differe...

BACKGROUND Telomere attrition is extremely rapid during the first years of life, while lifestyle during adulthood exerts a minor impact. This suggests that early life is an important period in the determination of telomere length. We investigated the importance of the early-life environment on both telomere tracking and adult telomere length. METHODS Among 184 twins of the East Flanders Prosp...

Previous studies showed that chromosomal instability was common in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, the mechanisms underlying this instability are unknown. Individuals with deficiencies in telomere maintenance are susceptible to enhanced telomere loss during cell proliferation; such deficiencies could result in telomere dysfunction and genomic instability. We investigated the...

BACKGROUND Short telomere length independently predicts mortality in patients with coronary heart disease. Whether 5-year change in telomere length predicts subsequent mortality in patients with coronary heart disease has not been evaluated. METHODS In a prospective cohort study of 608 individuals with stable coronary artery disease, we measured leukocyte telomere length at baseline and after...

The duplex telomere repeat (TTAGGG)(n) is an essential cis-acting element of the mammalian telomere, and an exogenous telomere repeat can induce chromosome breakage and de novo telomere formation at the site of a break (telomere seeding). Telomere seeding requires the telomere repeat (TTAGGG)(n) more stringently than does an in vitro telomerase assay, suggesting that it reflects the activity of...

Chromosome ends are maintained by telomere-repeat-binding factors (TRFs) that coordinate DNA end protection with telomere replication. The origin recognition complex (ORC) coordinates bidirectional DNA replication at most chromosomal sites, but it is also known to function in transcriptional silencing, heterochromatin formation, and sister-chromatid cohesion. We now show that ORC localizes to t...

Mesothelial cell (MC) senescence contributes to malignancy and tissue fibrosis. The role of telomere erosion in MC senescence remains controversial, with evidence for both telomere-dependent and telomere-independent mechanisms reported. Single telomere length analysis revealed considerable telomere length heterogeneity in freshly isolated human peritoneal MCs, reflecting a heterogeneous prolife...

Telomere maintenance is essential to preserve genomic stability and involves several telomere-specific proteins as well as DNA replication and repair proteins. The kinase ATR, which has a crucial function in maintaining genome integrity from yeast to human, has been shown to be involved in telomere maintenance in several eukaryotic organisms, including yeast, Arabidopsis and Drosophila. However...