Telomeres, the physical ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, consist of tandem arrays of short DNA repeats and a large set of specialized proteins. A recent analysis has identified telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), a large noncoding RNA in animals and fungi, which forms an integral component of telomeric heterochromatin. TERRA transcription occurs at most or all chromosome ends and it is regu...

Telomere erosion causes cell mortality, suggesting that longer telomeres enable more cell divisions. In telomerase-positive human cancer cells, however, telomeres are often kept shorter than those of surrounding normal tissues. Recently, we showed that cancer cell telomere elongation represses innate immune genes and promotes their differentiation in vivo. This implies that short telomeres cont...

The conserved PAF1 complex (Cdc73, Paf1, Ctr9, Leo1 and Rtf1, in yeast), binds RNA pol II, and affects levels of many RNAs. Although PAF1 is a complex, there is evidence that different components perform different functions. In yeast, Cdc73, Paf1 and Ctr9 maintain normal telomerase RNA (TLC1) levels and affect telomere length. Here we report a new connection between the PAF1 complex and telomer...

Mammalian telomeres are transcribed into long non-coding telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) molecules that seem to play a role in the maintenance of telomere stability. In human cells, CpG-island promoters drive TERRA transcription and are regulated by methylation. It was suggested that the amount of TERRA may be related to telomere length. To test this hypothesis we measured telomere leng...

Telomeres, the physical ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, consist of tandem arrays of short DNA repeats and a large set of specialized proteins. A recent analysis has identified telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), a large non-coding RNA in animals and fungi, which forms an integral component of telomeric heterochromatin. TERRA transcription occurs at most or all chromosome ends and it is reg...

Model-Driven Development (MDD) based on the concepts of model, metamodel, and model transformation is an approach to develop predictable and reliable software for Cyber-Phsical Systems (CPS). The work presented here is on a methodology to design simulation software based on MDD techniques, supporting the TERRA tool suite to describe and simulate process communication flows. TERRA is implemented...

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the reasons of infertility in women with chronic anovulation. Ovulation process is tightly regulated by molecular mechanisms controlling proliferation/differentiation of cells. Telomeres, TTAGGG tandem repeats, are transcribed into a non coding RNA, named TERRA. Recent studies suggest that TERRA sustain several important functions at chromos...