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Forever hopeful relations: chromatin, telomeres and checkpoints

Nature Genetics volume 21, pages 151–152 (1999)Cite this article

A relationship between chromatin, telomeres and DNA-damage checkpoints seems inevitable. Chromatin packages the entire genome and must therefore be the context in which telomere synthesis and recognition of DNA damage by checkpoints occurs. In fact, chromatin-associated proteins such as Rap1 mediate telomere function1, although how they do so remains unclear. Less is known about how chromatin affects DNA repair and checkpoint controls. And, for telomere-checkpoint interactions, it is unclear why telomeres avoid being recognized as DNA damage; one wonders if telomeres are masked by unique chromatin structure. Understanding the relationships between chromatin, telomeres and checkpoints resembles the daunting task of understanding relationships between relatives experienced during the holidays; interactions are inevitable, but outcomes are often unpredictable and, to the casual observer, incomprehensible.

Our understanding of telomere-chromatin-checkpoint relationships, however, is slowly emerging, especially the telomere-chromatin interactions2,3. New clues to relations between chromatin, telomeres and checkpoints are now reported by Yves Corda, Vera Schramke and colleagues in this issue of Nature Genetics4.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, Arizona, USA

    Ted Weinert

  2. Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston , 77030, Texas, USA

    Victoria Lundblad

Authors
  1. Ted Weinert
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  2. Victoria Lundblad
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Weinert, T., Lundblad, V. Forever hopeful relations: chromatin, telomeres and checkpoints. Nat Genet 21, 151–152 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/5930

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