Specific features of telomerase RNA from Hansenula polymorpha |
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| Authors: | Elena M Smekalova Alexander N Malyavko Maria I Zvereva Andrey V Mardanov Nikolai V Ravin Konstantin G Skryabin Eric Westhof Olga A Dontsova |
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| Institution: | 1.Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119999 Moscow, Russia;2.Belozersky Institute, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;3.Centre Bioengineering of RAS, Moscow 117312, Russia;4.Architecture et Réactivité de l''ARN, Université de Strasbourg, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, F-67084 Strasbourg, France |
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| Abstract: | Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein, is responsible for the maintenance of eukaryotic genome integrity by replicating the ends of chromosomes. The core enzyme comprises the conserved protein TERT and an RNA subunit (TER) that, in contrast, displays large variations in size and structure. Here, we report the identification of the telomerase RNA from thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha (HpTER) and describe its structural features. We show further that the H. polymorpha telomerase reverse transcribes the template beyond the predicted boundary and adds a nontelomeric dT in vitro. Sequencing of the chromosomal ends revealed that this nucleotide is specifically present as a terminal nucleotide at the 3′ end of telomeres. Mutational analysis of HpTER confirmed that the incorporation of dT functions to limit telomere length in this species. |
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| Keywords: | telomerase RNA telomere biogenesis |
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