Human telomeres maintain their overhang length at senescence

Weihang Chai; Jerry W Shay; Woodring E Wright

doi:10.1128/MCB.25.6.2158-2168.2005

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Human telomeres maintain their overhang length at senescence

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Human telomeres maintain their overhang length at senescence

Weihang Chai, Jerry W Shay and Woodring E Wright

Molecular and cellular biology, Vol.25(6), pp.2158-2168

03/2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.25.6.2158-2168.2005

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101857

PMCID: PMC1061618

PMID: 15743814

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https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.25.6.2158-2168.2005View

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Abstract

Humans

Papillomavirus E7 Proteins

Repressor Proteins - physiology

Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - physiology

Biological Assay

Oncogene Proteins, Viral - genetics

Telomere - physiology

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming - physiology

Ribonucleoproteins - chemistry

Retinoblastoma Protein - physiology

Telomere - genetics

Oncogene Proteins, Viral - physiology

Cellular Senescence - genetics

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming - genetics

Retinoblastoma Protein - metabolism

Cells, Cultured

Gene Silencing

Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism

Cellular Senescence - physiology

Repressor Proteins - genetics

Nucleic Acid Hybridization - genetics

Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A1

Thymus Hormones - chemistry

Telomere - chemistry

DNA - chemistry

Fibroblasts - cytology

Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B

Normal human cells in culture enter replicative senescence after a finite number of population doublings. The exact molecular mechanisms triggering the growth arrest are poorly understood. A recent report on the disappearance of the G-rich 3' telomeric overhang in senescent cells led to the hypothesis that loss of the 3' G-rich overhang is the molecular signal that triggers senescence. Here, we describe a quantitative assay to measure the length of the G-rich 3' telomeric overhangs from cultured cells. Using both this assay and the conventional nondenaturing hybridization assay for measuring G-rich overhangs, we show that normal human fibroblasts can maintain their overhangs at senescence. Furthermore, cells do not lose their overhangs when they bypass senescence after the inactivation of p53 and Rb. We thus conclude that a global reduction in overhang length is not the molecular signal that triggers replicative senescence.

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Title: Human telomeres maintain their overhang length at senescence
Creators: Weihang Chai - Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA
Jerry W Shay
Woodring E Wright
Publication Details: Molecular and cellular biology, Vol.25(6), pp.2158-2168
Academic Unit: UNKNOWN
Publisher: United States
Grant note: R01 AG001228 / NIA NIH HHS AG01228 / NIA NIH HHS
Identifiers: 99900546551001842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article