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Telomeres

Fusing with RNF8

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 12, pages 624–625 (2011)Cite this article

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Telomeres are normally capped by the shelterin complex, which controls telomere length and structure but also prevents inappropriate activation of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway, which would lead to chromosome fusion. To determine the role of RNF8 at uncapped telomeres, the authors depleted RNF8 and then experimentally induced telomere deprotection. Upon deprotection, cells lacking RNF8 showed increased survival compared with controls, and this was caused by a significant reduction in telomere fusions. Interestingly, G-rich overhangs, which cannot be used for NHEJ, were significantly reduced in control cells upon telomere uncapping, but not in RNF8-deficient cells. Therefore, RNF8 may promote telomere fusion, in part, by mediating the degradation of G-rich overhangs.

RNF8 has a detrimental role at uncapped telomeres

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References

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Peuscher, M. H. & Jacobs, J. J. L. DNA-damage response and repair activities at uncapped telomeres depend on RNF8. Nature Cell Biol. 21 Aug 2011 (doi:10.1038/ncb2326)

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FURTHER READING

  1. O'Sullivan, R. J & Karlseder, J. Telomeres: protecting chromosomes against genome instability. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 11, 171–181 (2010)

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Authors
  1. Rachel David
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David, R. Fusing with RNF8. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 12, 624–625 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3186

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