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PMID: 1582420 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 11 ·No. 5 ·1992-05-00 ·Pages 1921-9

Counter CM, Avilion AA, LeFeuvre CE, Stewart NG, Greider CW, Harley CB, Bacchetti S

Abstract

Loss of telomeric DNA during cell proliferation may play a role in ageing and cancer. Since telomeres permit complete replication of eukaryotic chromosomes and protect their ends from recombination, we have measured telomere length, telomerase activity and chromosome rearrangements in human cells before and after transformation with SV40 or Ad5. In all mortal populations, telomeres shortened by approximately 65 bp/generation during the lifespan of the cultures. When transformed cells reached crisis, the length of the telomeric TTAGGG repeats was only approximately 1.5 kbp and many dicentric chromosomes were observed. In immortal cells, telomere length and frequency of dicentric chromosomes stabilized after crisis. Telomerase activity was not detectable in control or extended lifespan populations but was present in immortal populations. These results suggest that chromosomes with short (TTAGGG)n tracts are recombinogenic, critically shortened telomeres may be incompatible with cell proliferation and stabilization of telomere length by telomerase may be required for immortalization.

MeSH Terms
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic Cell Transformation, Viral Cellular Senescence Chromosomes, Human DNA/genetics DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase/metabolism Humans Karyotyping Kidney/cytology,embryology Telomere Transfection
Chemicals
DNA DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
Authors & Affiliations
7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Counter C M
Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Avilion A A
LeFeuvre C E
Stewart N G
Greider C W
Harley C B
Bacchetti S
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
Published
1992-05-00
Pages
1921-9
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC556651
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details
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