Structure of Critical Enzyme Linked to Cancer and Aging

Using a combination of techniques, researchers have determined the complete molecular structure of telomerase, the enzyme that preserves genetic information by maintaining chromosome endings called telomeres. First discovered in Nobel Prize-winning work on the microorganism Tetrahymena thermophila, telomeres shorten with every cell division as part of the normal aging process. When they become too short, the cell dies. Telomerase counteracts this by preventing the telomeres from becoming too short. However, abnormally high levels of telomerase activity may extend the lifespan of a cell beyond the normal limit, leading to cancer. The new structural details of telomerase may aid efforts to develop drugs that target the enzyme and shorten cancer cells’ lifespans.
Source: NIGMS Biomedical Beat - Category: Research Source Type: news