端粒与端粒酶研究进展

细胞分裂中染色体因其末端（端粒）的DNA不能完全复制而短缩,使细胞逐渐失去增殖能力而衰老．端粒酶可延长染色体末端DNA,端粒酶的活化使细胞无限增殖．85％左右的恶性肿瘤端粒酶表达阳性,生殖细胞和无限繁殖的细胞系中端粒酶表达也呈阳性．文章综述了端粒的构成和功能、端粒酶在端粒合成中的作用,介绍了端粒酶活性的测定方法、细胞恶变与端粒酶激活的关系,并论及通过抑制端粒酶活性来治疗癌症的可能性．     

端粒维持研究进展

端粒是现代生物学的研究热点,与肿瘤发生、基因表达调控、衰老有着密切的关系。本综述介绍当前对端粒维持机理研究的进展。在端粒维持过程中有两类重要的蛋白：端粒相关蛋白和端粒酶。端粒相关蛋白是直接或间接与端粒结合的蛋白 ,在维持端粒稳定性方面有重要作用。端粒酶,特别是其催化亚基ｈＴＥＲＴ,在端粒延长过程中起着不可替代的作用,与细胞永生化和癌变密切相关。此外还介绍了在某些细胞中存在的不依赖端粒酶的端粒延长机     

哺乳动物早期胚胎端粒和端粒酶重编程

端粒位于真核染色体末端,是稳定染色体末端的重要元件。端粒酶(TER)是一种特殊的细胞核糖核蛋白(RNP)反转录酶(RT),其核心酶包括蛋白亚基和RNA元件。在DNA复制过程中的端粒丢失可以被有活性的端粒酶修复回来。哺乳动物端粒酶在发育中受调控,端粒的重编程可能是由于早期胚胎不同时期的端粒酶活性而造成的。因此,研究端粒和端粒酶重编程在早期胚胎发育中是非常重要的。该文综述了端粒和端粒酶的结构和功能,及其与哺乳动物早期胚胎发育的关系,并在此基础上展望了端粒和端粒酶在克隆动物胚胎发育的基础研究。     

端粒酶调控机制的研究进展

端粒酶在细胞中的主要生物学功能是通过其逆转录酶活性复制和延长端粒DNA来稳定染色体端粒DNA的长度。近年有关端粒酶与肿瘤关系的研究进展表明,在肿瘤细胞中端粒酶还参与了对肿瘤细胞的凋亡和基因组稳定的调控过程。与端粒酶的多重生物学活性相对应,肿瘤细胞中也存在复杂的端粒酶调控网络。通过蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用在翻译后水平对端粒酶活性及功能进行调控,则是目前研究端粒酶调控机制的热点之一。     

靶向端粒酶的肿瘤治疗方案相关进展

近年来,端粒作为真核细胞染色体末端的保护染色体免受核酸酶降解的特殊的DNA重复结构,成为现代生物学的研究热点。端粒与基因表达调控、细胞生长、肿瘤发生、衰老有着密切的关系。端粒维持过程中有2类重要的蛋白,即端粒相关蛋白和端粒酶。端粒酶,特别是其催化亚基hTERT,在端粒延长过程中起着不可替代的作用,与细胞永生化和癌变密切相关。近年来,靶向端粒酶的肿瘤治疗在逆转录酶抑制剂尤其是反义核酸和免疫治疗方面都取得了突破性的进展。肿瘤干细胞在肿瘤的发生发展过程中起重要作用,将很有希望成为未来靶向端粒酶的肿瘤治疗的一个重要靶标。     

端粒及端粒酶的研究进展

端粒是真核细胞染色体末端的特有结构,是由端粒结合蛋白和一段重复序列的端粒DNA组成的一个高度精密的复合体,在维持染色体末端稳定性,避免染色体被核酸酶降解等方面起着重要的作用。端粒的长度、结构及组织形式受多种端粒结合因子的调控。由于端粒的重要性,在哺乳动物细胞里,端粒的长度或端粒结构变化与癌症发生及细胞衰老有密切的关系。由于末端复制问题的存在,随着细胞分裂次数的增加,端粒不断缩短,细胞不可避免的走向衰老或凋亡。由于在细胞分裂过程中端粒长度的不断缩短与细胞分裂代数增加具有相关性,即端粒长度反应了细胞的分裂次数,因此有人将端粒形象的比喻为生物时钟。在90%的癌细胞中,端粒酶被重新激活,以此来维持端粒的长度,使细胞走向永生化。简要综述了端粒、端粒酶及端粒酶结合蛋白的最新研究进展。     

端粒酶在细胞永生化和癌变中的作用

重点讨论了端粒酶在肿瘤细胞和永生化细胞中的作用和功能,以及它与细胞衰老和永生化的关系.多数真核细胞的端粒酶能将单一重复序列加到端粒DNA的3′末端.端粒酶主要由模板RNA和端粒酶蛋白催化亚基组成,后者以前者为模板起逆转录酶的作用.端粒酶活性存在于肿瘤细胞中,而在良性肿瘤、体细胞中未发现端粒酶.     

端粒酶的非端粒保护作用

端粒酶与细胞永生化和肿瘤的发生发展密切相关,过去认为是由于端粒酶保护端粒从而阻止因端粒缩短所导致的细胞凋亡;然而近年来,越来越多证据表明:端粒酶在维持端粒长度之外,还存在着非端粒保护作用。通过对其非端粒保护作用的研究,有助于深入而全面地阐明端粒酶的生物学行为及其作用机理,对于肿瘤等疾病的治疗具有重要意义。本文对端粒酶的非端粒保护作用进行小结。     

端粒-端粒酶系统与糖尿病和胰岛β细胞

端粒和端粒酶共同构成端粒-端粒酶系统,参与细胞衰老、增殖和凋亡的调控,在多种增龄性疾病中发挥重要作用。研究表明,端粒-端粒酶系统异常与糖尿病和胰岛β细胞功能异常有关,改变端粒酶的活性有希望作为糖尿病细胞治疗的措施之一。本文就端粒-端粒酶系统在糖尿病胰岛β细胞中的研究进展做一综述。     

端粒酶是干扰素抗肿瘤的新靶点

端粒酶(telomerase)是一种具有逆转录活性的核糖核蛋白酶.端粒酶的异常活化是细胞永生化和肿瘤形成的关键步骤. 端粒酶活性与细胞周期及细胞凋亡调控密切相关;端粒酶由端粒酶逆转录酶、端粒酶RNA、端粒酶相关蛋白质组成,端粒酶逆转录酶是端粒酶活性的决定性组分.干扰素(interferon)是一种具有抗病毒、抗增殖、抗肿瘤和免疫调节等功能的细胞因子;近年研究表明,干扰素通过相关信号转导途径而调节端粒酶活性,诱导细胞凋亡,为肿瘤的生物治疗提供了新思路;但干扰素与端粒酶活性相关的抗肿瘤机制研究尚不充分. 本文综述干扰素通过调节端粒酶逆转录酶转录因子的表达和相互作用而抑制端粒酶活性、调节细胞周期并诱导细胞凋亡等抗肿瘤作用机制.     

Pro-atherogenic factors induce telomerase inactivation in endothelial cells through an Akt-dependent mechanism

Advanced aging may contribute to impairment of angiogenesis and development of vascular diseases. Telomerase was shown to delay endothelial cell (EC) senescence. Therefore, we determined the regulation of telomerase activity in EC. Inhibition of phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) suppressed telomerase activity, whereas inhibitors directed against ERK1/2 or protein kinase C had no effect. Dominant negative Akt significantly reduced telomerase activity. Moreover, pro-atherogenic stimuli such as oxidized low density lipoprotein led to an inactivation of Akt and diminished telomerase activity. Thus, the PI3K/Akt pathway plays an important role in the regulation of telomerase activity. Pro-atherosclerotic factors impair telomerase activity and thereby may promote EC aging.     

Interleukin-6 decreases senescence and increases telomerase activity in malignant human cholangiocytes

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cellular senescence results in irreversible growth arrest. In malignant cells, senescence is prevented by maintenance of chromosomal length by telomerase activity. Telomerase activity is increased in malignant, but not in normal cholangiocytes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an autocrine promoter of cholangiocarcinoma growth. Our aims were to assess the relationship between IL-6 activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and senescence in malignant cholangiocytes. METHODS: Cell senescence and telomerase activity was assessed in Mz-ChA-1 malignant human cholangiocytes. The effect of inhibitors of p38 MAPK and telomerase activity on cell proliferation was assessed, and the interaction between these inhibitors was quantitated by median effects analysis. RESULTS: Mz-ChA-1 cells rapidly underwent senescence during repeated passaging. IL-6 increased telomerase activity and decreased cellular senescence during repeated passaging. However, basal telomerase activity was increased by inhibition of p38 MAPK. Inhibition of telomerase activity decreased IL-6 induced proliferation and had a synergistic effect with p38 MAPK inhibitors. Thus, IL-6 increases telomerase activity independent of p38 MAPK signaling and maintenance of telomerase activity promotes cholangiocarcinoma growth. CONCLUSION: Enhanced telomerase activity in response to IL-6 stimulation can prevent cellular senescence and thereby contribute to cholangiocarcinoma growth. Inhibition of telomerase activity may therefore be therapeutically useful in biliary tract malignancies.     

衰老或肿瘤: 端粒酶和p53的相互作用

端粒酶和p53两者在肿瘤和衰老的发生发展过程中都起着关键的作用。在人类大多数的肿瘤中都发现了这一现象: p53基因发生突变和端粒酶的重新激活。端粒酶和p53基因的治疗逐渐成为肿瘤治疗的重要手段之一。文章论述了端粒酶或p53基因敲除的不同组合的小鼠模型(mTR-/-p53+/+; mTR-/-P53-/-)的衰老与肿瘤表型, 对端粒功能异常可抑制或促进肿瘤发生的辩证作用作一综述, 以期理解p53与端粒酶在衰老与肿瘤发生中的辩证相互作用, 寻求一种治疗肿瘤的新思路。     

Role of telomere in endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Telomeres consist of repeats of G-rich sequence at the end of chromosomes. These DNA repeats are synthesized by enzymatic activity associated with an RNA protein complex called telomerase. In most somatic cells, telomerase activity is insufficient, and telomere length decreases with increasing cell division, resulting in an irreversible cell growth arrest, termed cellular senescence. Cellular senescence is associated with an array of phenotypic changes suggestive of aging. Until recently, cellular senescence has largely been studied as an in-vitro phenomenon; however, there is accumulating evidence that indicates a critical role of telomere function in the pathogenesis of human atherosclerosis. This review attempts to summarize recent work in vascular biology that supports the "telomere hypothesis". We discuss the possible relevance of telomere function to vascular aging and the therapeutic potential of telomere manipulation. RECENT FINDINGS: It has been reported that many of the changes in senescent vascular cell behavior are consistent with known changes seen in age-related vascular diseases. Introduction of telomere malfunction has been shown to lead to endothelial dysfunction that promotes atherogenesis, whereas telomere lengthening extends cell lifespan and protects against endothelial dysfunction associated with senescence. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated that telomere attrition and cellular senescence occur in the blood vessels and are associated with human atherosclerosis. SUMMARY: Recent findings suggest that vascular cell senescence induced by telomere shortening may contribute to atherogenesis and may provide insights into a novel treatment of antisenescence to prevent atherosclerosis.     

An analysis of replicative senescence in dermal fibroblasts derived from chronic leg wounds predicts that telomerase therapy would fail to reverse their disease-specific cellular and proteolytic phenotype

The accumulation of senescent fibroblasts within tissues has been suggested to play an important role in mediating impaired dermal wound healing, which is a major clinical problem in the aged population. The concept that replicative senescence in wound fibroblasts results in reduced proliferation and the failure of refractory wounds to respond to treatment has therefore been proposed. However, in the chronic wounds of aged patients the precise relationship between the observed alteration in cellular responses with aging and replicative senescence remains to be determined. Using assays to assess cellular proliferation, senescence-associated staining beta-galactosidase, telomere length, and extracellular matrix reorganizational ability, chronic wound fibroblasts demonstrated no evidence of senescence. Furthermore, analysis of in vitro senesced fibroblasts demonstrated cellular responses that were distinct and, in many cases, diametrically opposed from those exhibited by chronic wound fibroblasts. Forced expression of telomerase within senescent fibroblasts reversed the senescent cellular phenotype, inhibiting extracellular matrix reorganizational ability, attachment, and matrix metalloproteinase production and thus produced cells with impaired key wound healing properties. It would appear therefore that the distinct phenotype of chronic wound fibroblasts is not simply due to the aging process, mediated through replicative senescence, but instead reflects disease-specific cellular alterations of the fibroblasts themselves.     

When ATPases pontin and reptin met telomerase

Pontin and reptin are conserved AAA+ ATPases identified in chromatin-remodeling complexes. In a recent issue of Cell, Venteicher et al. provide new insight into the function of pontin and reptin in telomerase biogenesis, which is important for cellular senescence, aging, and cancer. These unexpected findings have implications for new avenues for development of effective therapeutic drugs in human disease.