Publication details
If the cap fits, wear it: an overview of telomeric structures over evolution
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Cellular and molecular life sciences |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/233/art%253A10.1007%252Fs00018-013-1469-z.pdf?auth66=1424688549_1693e66271e371331f99a2b7b64a52d7&ext=.pdf |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00018-013-1469-z |
| Field | Genetics and molecular biology |
| Keywords | Telomeres; Telomerase; Chromosomes; Genome evolution; DNA repair; Retrotransposons |
| Description | Genome organization into linear chromosomes likely represents an important evolutionary innovation that has permitted the development of the sexual life cycle; this process has consequently advanced nuclear expansion and increased complexity of eukaryotic genomes. Chromosome linearity, however, poses a major challenge to the internal cellular machinery. The need to efficiently recognize and repair DNA double-strand breaks that occur as a consequence of DNA damage presents a constant threat to native chromosome ends known as telomeres. In this review, we present a comparative survey of various solutions to the end protection problem, maintaining an emphasis on DNA structure. This begins with telomeric structures derived from a subset of prokaryotes, mitochondria, and viruses, and will progress into the typical telomere structure exhibited by higher organisms containing TTAGG-like tandem sequences. We next examine non-canonical telomeres from Drosophila melanogaster, which comprise arrays of retrotransposons. Finally, we discuss telomeric structures in evolution and possible switches between canonical and non-canonical solutions to chromosome end protection. |