The conventional DNA polymerase machinery is unable to fully replicate the ends of linear
chromosomes. To surmount this problem, nearly all eukaryotes use the telomerase enzyme …

The yeast homologs of the ATM and ATR DNA damage response kinases play key roles in
telomerase-mediated telomere maintenance, but the role of ATM/ATR in the mammalian …

Telomeres form the ends of linear chromosomes and protect these ends from being
recognized as DNA double-strand breaks. Telomeric sequences are maintained in most …

Telomeres are by definition stable and inert chromosome ends, whereas internal
chromosome breaks are potent stimulators of the DNA damage response (DDR). Telomeres …

The notion that telomeres are essential for chromosome linearity stems from the existence of
two chief dangers: inappropriate DNA damage response (DDR) reactions that mistake …

While telomere repeat-containing non-coding RNA has been identified in a variety of
eukaryotes, its biological role is not yet clear. We have identified telomeric transcripts in …

Variations and adaptations of chromosome ends play an important role in eukaryotic
karyotype evolution. Traditional experimental studies of the adaptations of chromosome …

Centromeres are essential for chromosome segregation during both mitosis and meiosis.
There are no obvious or conserved DNA sequence motif determinants for centromere …

Removal of the conserved telomere protein, Pot1, confers the immediate loss of fission yeast
telomeres. This drastic phenotype has established the centrality of Pot1 for telomere …

Background Eukaryotic chromosomes end with telomeres, which in most organisms are
composed of tandem DNA repeats associated with telomeric proteins. These DNA repeats …