Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Cloning of human telomeres by complementation in yeast

Nature volume 338, pages 771–774 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

TELOMERES confer stability on chromosomes by protecting them from degradation and recombination and by allowing complete replication of the end1. They are genetically important as they define the ends of the linkage map. Telomeres of lower eukaryotes contain short repeats consisting of a G-rich and a C-rich strand, the G-rich strand running 5′–3′ towards the telomere and extending at the end2–11. Telomeres of human chromosomes share characteristics with those of lower eukaryotes12, 13, including sequence similarity as detected by cross-hybridization14–16. Telomeric repeats from many organisms can provide telomere function in yeast2, 17. Here we describe a modified yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) vector with only one telomere which we used to clone human telomeres by complementation in yeast. YACs containing human telomeres were identified by hydridization to an oligonucleotide of the trypanosome telomeric repeat. A subcloned human fragment from one such YAC is immediately subtelomeric on at least one human chromosome.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blackburn, E. H. & Szostak, J. W. A. Rev. Biochem. 53, 163–194 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Shampay, J., Szostak, J. W. & Blackburn, E. H. Nature 310, 154–157 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Walmsley, R. W., Chan, C. S. M., Tye, B-K. & Petes, T. D. Nature 310, 157–160 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sugawara, N. & Szostak, J. W. Yeast 2 (Suppl.) 373 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Blackburn, E. H. & Gall, J. G. J. molec. Biol. 120, 33–53 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Klobutcher, L. A., Swanton, M. A., Donini, P. & Prestcott, D. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 3015–3019 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ponzi, M., Pace, T., Dore, E. & Frontali, C. EMBO J. 4, 2991–2995 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Emery, H. S. & Weiner, A. M. Cell 26, 411–419 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Blackburn, E. H. & Challoner, P. B. Cell 36, 447–457 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Van der Ploeg, L. H. T., Liv, A. Y. C. & Borst, P. Cell 36, 459–468 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Forney, J., Henderson, E. R. & Blackburn, E. H. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 9143–9152 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cooke, H. J., Brown, W. R. A. & Rappold, G. A. Nature 317, 687–692 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cooke, H. J. & Smith, B. A. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 51, 213–219 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Allshire, R. C. et al. Nature 332, 656–659 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Moyzis, R. K. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 6622–6626 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Richards, E. J. & Ausubel, F. M. Cell 53, 127–136 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Pluta, A. F., Dani, G. M., Spear, B. B. & Zakian, V. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 1475–1479 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cooke, H. J. & Cross, S. H. Nucleic Acids Res. 16 11817 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Burke, D. T., Carle, G. F. & Olsen, M. V. Science 236, 806–812 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Burgers, P. M. J. & Percivals, K. J. analyt. Biochem. 163, 391–397 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Murray, A. W., Schultes, N. P. & Szostak, J. W. Cell 45, 529–536 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Szostak, J. W. & Blackburn, E. H. Cell 29, 245–255 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Gottschling, D. E. & Zakian, V. A. Cell 47, 195–205 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Berman, J., Tachibana, C. Y. & Tye, B-K. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 3713–3717 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sen, D. & Gilbert, W. Nature 334, 364–366 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lathe, R., Kierny, M. P., Skory, S. & Lecocq, J. P. DNA 3, 173–182 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bellis, M., Pages, M. & Roizes, G. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 6747 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Nakaseko, Y., Adachi, Y., Funahashi, S., Niwa, O. & Yanagida, M. EMBO J. 5, 1011–1021 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK

    Sally H. Cross, Robin C. Allshire, Stewart J. McKay, Nio I. McGill & Howard J. Cooke

Authors
  1. Sally H. Cross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robin C. Allshire
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stewart J. McKay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nio I. McGill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Howard J. Cooke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cross, S., Allshire, R., McKay, S. et al. Cloning of human telomeres by complementation in yeast. Nature 338, 771–774 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338771a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/338771a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing