Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Telomerase RNA biosynthesis and processing

  • Review
  • Published:
Biochemistry (Moscow) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Telomerase synthesizes repetitive G-rich sequences (telomeric repeats) at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. This mechanism maintains the integrity of the genome, as telomere shortening leads to degradation and fusion of chromosomes. The core components of telomerase are the telomerase catalytic subunit and telomerase RNA, which possesses a small template region serving for the synthesis of a telomeric repeat. Mutations in the telomerase RNA are associated with some cases of aplastic anemia and also cause dyskeratosis congenita, myelodysplasia, and pulmonary fibrosis. Telomerase is active in 85% of cancers, and telomerase activation is one of the first steps in cell transformation. The study of telomerase and pathways where this enzyme is involved will help to understand the mechanism of the mentioned diseases and to develop new approaches for their treatment. In this review we describe the modern conception of telomerase RNA biosynthesis, processing, and functioning in the three most studied systems — yeast, vertebrates, and ciliates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Greider, C. W., and Blackburn, E. H. (1987) Cell, 51, 887–898.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Blackburn, E. H. (2000) Nat. Struct. Biol., 10, 847–850.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shcherbakova, D. M., Zvereva, M. I., Shpanchenko, O. V., and Dontsova, O. A. (2006) Mol. Biol. (Moscow), 40, 580–594.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Morin, G. B. (1989) Cell, 59, 521–529.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Podlevsky, J. D., and Chen, J. J. (2012) Mutat. Res., 730, 3–11.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, J. L., and Greider, C. V. (2003) EMBO J., 22, 304–314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Rubtsova, M. P., Vasilkova, D. P., Maliavko, A. N., Naraikina, Y. V., Zvereva, M. I., and Dontsova, O. A. (2012) Acta Naturae, 4, 6–23.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Qiao, F., and Cech, T. R. (2008) Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., 15, 634–640.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Theimer, C. A., and Feigon, J. (2006) Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., 16, 307–318.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Robart, A. R., O’Connor, C. M., and Collins, K. (2010) RNA, 16, 563–571.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Theimer, C. A., Jady, B. E., Chim, N., Richard, P., Breece, K. E., Kiss, T., and Feigon, J. (2007) Mol. Cell, 27, 869–881.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cristofari, G., Adolf, E., Reichenbach, P., Sikora, K., Terns, R. M., and Lingner, J. (2007) Mol. Cell, 27, 882–889.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cairney, C. J., and Keith, W. N. (2008) Biochimie, 90, 13–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang, Q., Kim, N-K., and Feigon, J. (2011) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 108, 20325–20332.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Dandjinou, A. T., Levesque, N., Larose, S., Lucier, J.-F., Elela, S. A., and Wellinger, R. J. (2004) Curr. Biol., 14, 1148–1158.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Chen, J. L., Blasco, M. A., and Greider, C. W. (2000) Cell, 100, 503–514.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Zappulla, D. C., and Cech, T. R. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 10024–10029.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Moriarty, T. J., Marie-Egyptienne, D. T., and Autexier, C. (2005) RNA, 11, 1448–1460.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Box, J. A., Bunch, J. T., Zappulla, D. C., Glynn, E. F., and Baumann, P. (2008) JBC, 283, 24224–24233.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wyatt, H. D., West, S. C., and Beattie, T. L. (2010) Nucleic Acids Res., 38, 5609–5622.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gunisova, S., Elboher, E., Nosek, J., Gorkovoy, V., Brown, Y., Lucier, J.-F., Laterreur, N., Wellinger, R. J., Tzfati, Y., and Tomaska, L. (2009) RNA, 4, 546–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mitchell, J. R., Cheng, J., and Collins, K. (1999) Mol. Cell Biol., 19, 567–576.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Chapon, C., Cech, T. R., and Zaug, A. J. (1997) RNA, 3, 1337–1351.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Seto, A. G., Zaug, A. J., Sobei, S. G., Wolin, S. L., and Cech, T. R. (1999) Nature, 402, 898.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Khusial, P., Plaag, R., and Zieve, G. W. (2005) Trends Biochem. Sci., 30, 522–528.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Leonardi, J., Box, J. A., Bunch, J. T., and Baumann, P. (2008) Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., 15, 26–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Noel, J. F., Larose, S., Abou Elela, S., and Wellinger, R. J. (2012) Nucleic Acids Res., doi: 10.1093/nar/gks200.

  28. Wilusz, J. E., and Spector, D. L. (2010) RNA, 16, 259–266.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Box, J. A., Bunch, J. T., Tang, W., and Baumann, P. (2008) Nature, 456, 910–914.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tanq, W., Kannan, R., Blanchette, M., and Baumann, P. (2012) Nature, 484, 260–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Greider, C. W., and Blackburn, E. H. (1989) Nature, 337, 331–337.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Lingner, J., Hendrick, L. L., and Cech, T. R. (1994) Genes Dev., 8, 1984–1998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Witkin, K. L., and Collins, K. (2004) Genes Dev., 18, 1107–1118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Aigner, S., Lingner, J., Goodrich, K. L., Grosshans, C. A., Shevchenko, A., Mann, M., and Cech, T. R. (2000) EMBO J., 19, 6230–6239.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Aigner, S., Postberg, J., Lipps, H. J., and Cech, T. R. (2003) Biochemistry, 42, 5736–5747.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. O’Connor, C. M., and Collins, K. (2006) Mol. Cell Biol., 26, 2029–2036.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Gallardo, F., and Chartrand, P. (2008) RNA Biol., 5, 212–215.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Collins, K., and Mitchell, J. R. (2002) Oncogene, 21, 564–579.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Li, S., and Blackburn, E. H. (2006) Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol., 71, 211–216.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Jady, B. E., Richard, P., Bertran, E., and Kiss, T. (2006) Mol. Biol. Cell, 17, 944–954.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Fu, D., and Collins, K. (2003) Mol. Cell, 11, 1361–1372.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Kim, M. M., Rivera, M. A., Botchkina, I. L., Shalaby, R., Thor, A., and Blackburn, E. H. (2001) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 98, 7982–7987.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Hug, N., and Lingner, J. (2006) Chromosoma, 115, 413–425.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Takata, H., Tanaka, Y., and Matsuura, A. (2005) Mol. Cell, 17, 573–583.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Gallardo, F., Laterreur, N., Cusanelli, E., Quenzar, F., Querido, E., Wellinger, R. J., and Chartrand, P. (2011) Mol. Cell, 44, 819–827.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Gallardo, F., Olivier, C., Dandjinou, A. T., Wellinger, R. J., and Chartrand, P. (2008) EMBO J., 27, 748–757.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Ferrezuelo, F., Steiner, B., Aldea, M., and Futcher, B. (2002) Mol. Cell Biol., 22, 6046–6055.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Stellwagen, A. E., Haimberger, Z. W., Veatch, J. R., and Gottschling, D. E. (2003) Genes Dev., 17, 2384–2395.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Kiss, T., Favet, E., Jady, B. E., Richard, P., and Weber, M. (2006) Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol., 71, 407–417.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Egan, E. D., and Collins, K. (2010) Mol. Cell Biol., 30, 2775–2786.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Ganot, P., Caizergues-Ferrer, M., and Kiss, T. (1997) Genes Dev., 11, 941–956.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Dez, C., Henras, A., Faucon, B., Lafontain, D., Caizergues-Ferrer, M., and Henry, Y. (2001) Nucleic Acids Res., 29, 598–603.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Tomlinson, R. L., Ziegler, T. D., Supakorndej, T., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2006) Mol. Biol. Cell, 17, 955–965.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Wright, W. E., Tesmer, V. M., Liao, M. L., and Shay, J. W. (1999) Exp. Cell Res., 251, 492–499.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Zhu, Y., Tomlinson, R. L., Lukowiak, A. A., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2004) Mol. Biol. Cell, 15, 81–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Tomlinson, R. L., Abreu, E. B., Ziegler, T., Ly, H., Counter, C. M., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2008) Mol. Biol. Cell, 19, 3793–3800.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Fu, D., and Collins, K. (2007) Mol. Cell, 28, 773–785.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Venteicher, A. S., and Artandi, S. E. (2009) Cell Cycle, 8, 1329–1331.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Dokal, I. (2011) Hematol. Am. Soc. Hematol. Educ. Progr., 2011, 480–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Evans, S. K., and Lundblad, V. (1999) Science, 286, 117–120.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Taggart, A. K., Teng, S. C., and Zakian, V. A. (2002) Science, 297, 1023–1026.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Sharanov, Y. S., Zvereva, M. I., and Dontsova, O. A. (2006) FEBS Lett., 580, 4683–4690.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Shubernetskaya, O., Logvina, N., Sharanov, Y., and Zvereva, M. (2011) Biochimie, 93, 202–206.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Fu, D., and Collins, K. (2006) Genes Dev., 20, 531–536.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Lee, C. L., Hsiao, H. H., Lin, C. W., Wu, S. P., Huang, S. Y., Wu, C. Y., Wang, A. H., and Khoo, K. H. (2003) Proteomics, 3, 2472–2486.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Ford, L. P., Suh, J. M., Wright, W. E., and Shay, J. W. (2000) Mol. Cell Biol., 20, 9084–9091.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Wong, J. M., and Collins, K. (2006) Genes Dev., 20, 2848–2858.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. LaBranche, H., Dupuis, S., Ben-David, Y., Bani, M. R., Wellinger, R. J., and Chabot, B. (1998) Nat. Genet., 19, 199–202.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Blasco, M. A., Lee, H. W., Hande, M. P., Samper, E., Lansdorp, P. M., DePinho, R., and Greider, C. W. (1997) Cell, 91, 25–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Gonzalez-Suarez, E., Samper, E., Flores, J. M., and Blasco, M. A. (2000) Nat. Genet., 26, 114–117.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Kedde, M., le Sage, C., Duursma, A., Zlotorynski, E., van Leeuwen, B., Nijkamp, W., Beijersbergen, R., and Agami, R. (2006) J. Biol. Chem., 281, 40503–40514.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    E. M. Smekalova, O. S. Shubernetskaya, M. I. Zvereva, E. V. Gromenko, M. P. Rubtsova & O. A. Dontsova

  2. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia

    M. I. Zvereva, M. P. Rubtsova & O. A. Dontsova

Authors
  1. E. M. Smekalova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. O. S. Shubernetskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. I. Zvereva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. V. Gromenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. P. Rubtsova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. O. A. Dontsova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. I. Zvereva.

Additional information

Published in Russian in Biokhimiya, 2012, Vol. 77, No. 10, pp. 1350–1361.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smekalova, E.M., Shubernetskaya, O.S., Zvereva, M.I. et al. Telomerase RNA biosynthesis and processing. Biochemistry Moscow 77, 1120–1128 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297912100045

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297912100045

Key words

Search

Navigation