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Detailed view of human telomerase enzyme invites rethink of its structure

The telomerase enzyme performs a crucial role by maintaining protective caps of repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes. A structure of human telomerase casts fresh light on its architecture.
  1. Michael D. Stone

    1. Michael D. Stone is in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department and at the Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA.

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The chromosomes of eukaryotic organisms, which include plants, animals and fungi, are capped by protective structures called telomeres1. In certain types of proliferative cell, these structures are maintained by the telomerase enzyme. Inherited genetic mutations that compromise telomerase function cause disorders characterized by deterioration of proliferative tissues2, whereas increased expression of telomerase supports unbridled cell growth in most human cancers3. Efforts to develop telomerase-based therapeutics have been hampered by an incomplete understanding of the structure and organization of the telomerase complex. In a paper published in Nature, Nguyen et al.4 report a structure of human telomerase bound to DNA, providing an unprecedented view of how the enzyme complex is organized and establishing a framework for drug discovery.

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Nature 557, 174-175 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-04756-3

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