New findings describe how the enzyme CST is recruited to the end of the telomere, where it maintains telomere length with the help of subtle chemical changes made to the protein POT1. The length of ...

Imagine your DNA as a set of shoelaces. Telomeres are like the plastic tips at the ends of those shoelaces, preventing them from fraying and unraveling. Structurally, telomeres are repetitive ...

A new study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has shown that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in the repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA ...

A new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of ...

When a cell divides, a small section of the telomere of each chromosome is worn away. While most cells use the enzyme telomerase to mitigate this loss, about 10–15% of cancers use a different ...

The length of telomeres that protect the ends of our chromosomes should be tightly regulated. Those that are too long predispose to cancer, and those that are too short lose their protective ability, ...

There’s a new argument against “junk DNA.” In this microscope image, the ends of chromosomes are protected by specific DNA sequences called telomeres, visualized here in red. Credit: National ...

In the quest to unlock the secrets of aging and longevity, telomeres have emerged as key players. These protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes play a critical role in cellular aging. With each ...

CST (purple/lavender) bound to POT1 (red). Phosphorylation of the crimson-highlighted region in POT1 regulates the recruitment and activity of CST–Polα-primase at telomeres. The length of telomeres ...

In absence of TARG1, ADP-ribose accumulated at telomeres, leading to disruption of telomere replication and premature telomere shortening. To show that these telomere defects were due to modification ...