Telomere Extension By Telomerase

Stable Identifier
R-HSA-171319
Type
Pathway
Species
Homo sapiens
Compartment
ReviewStatus
5/5
Locations in the PathwayBrowser
General
SVG |   | PPTX  | SBGN
Click the image above or here to open this pathway in the Pathway Browser
Humans, like most eukaryotic organisms, add direct repeats to the telomere using a specialized DNA polymerase called telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex minimally composed of a conserved protein subunit containing a reverse transcriptase domain (human telomerase reverse transcriptase, hTERT) and a template-containing RNA (human telomerase RNA component, hTERC, or hTR, hTER). The primer for telomerase is the G-rich single-strand overhang at the chromosome end.

Telomerase can perform multiple rounds of repeat synthesis. The reaction cycle has been inferred from in vitro studies of telomerase from multiple organisms and can be described as having four events: 1) DNA primer recognition, 2) RNA template alignment, 3) elongation, and 4) translocation. Telomeric DNA is recognized in part by a presumed "anchor site" in hTERT, which preferentially binds G-rich DNA, and this interaction can affect elongation and translocation steps. This interaction occurs 5' of the alignment of the RNA template with the end nucleotides of the chromosome. RNA alignment positions the template adjacent to the chromosome terminus. During elongation, the template directs sequential addition of nucleotides to the telomere end. After synthesis of a repeat is completed, relative movement of telomerase and the primer, termed translocation, repositions telomerase at the end of the newly added sequence to allow initiation of another round of repeat addition.
Literature References
PubMed ID Title Journal Year
14685173 Getting to the end: telomerase access in yeast and humans

Vega, LR, Mateyak, MK, Zakian, VA

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2003
15189140 Regulation of telomerase by telomeric proteins

Smogorzewska, A, de Lange, T

Annu Rev Biochem 2004
Participants
Participates
Event Information
Orthologous Events
Authored
Reviewed
Created
Cite Us!