Skip to main content

Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Counter, CM; Avilion, AA; LeFeuvre, CE; Stewart, NG; Greider, CW; Harley, CB; Bacchetti, S
Published in: EMBO J
May 1992

Loss of telomeric DNA during cell proliferation may play a role in ageing and cancer. Since telomeres permit complete replication of eukaryotic chromosomes and protect their ends from recombination, we have measured telomere length, telomerase activity and chromosome rearrangements in human cells before and after transformation with SV40 or Ad5. In all mortal populations, telomeres shortened by approximately 65 bp/generation during the lifespan of the cultures. When transformed cells reached crisis, the length of the telomeric TTAGGG repeats was only approximately 1.5 kbp and many dicentric chromosomes were observed. In immortal cells, telomere length and frequency of dicentric chromosomes stabilized after crisis. Telomerase activity was not detectable in control or extended lifespan populations but was present in immortal populations. These results suggest that chromosomes with short (TTAGGG)n tracts are recombinogenic, critically shortened telomeres may be incompatible with cell proliferation and stabilization of telomere length by telomerase may be required for immortalization.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

EMBO J

DOI

ISSN

0261-4189

Publication Date

May 1992

Volume

11

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1921 / 1929

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Transfection
  • Telomere
  • Kidney
  • Karyotyping
  • Humans
  • Developmental Biology
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
  • DNA
  • Chromosomes, Human
  • Cellular Senescence
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Counter, C. M., Avilion, A. A., LeFeuvre, C. E., Stewart, N. G., Greider, C. W., Harley, C. B., & Bacchetti, S. (1992). Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity. EMBO J, 11(5), 1921–1929. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05245.x
Counter, C. M., A. A. Avilion, C. E. LeFeuvre, N. G. Stewart, C. W. Greider, C. B. Harley, and S. Bacchetti. “Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity.EMBO J 11, no. 5 (May 1992): 1921–29. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05245.x.
Counter CM, Avilion AA, LeFeuvre CE, Stewart NG, Greider CW, Harley CB, et al. Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity. EMBO J. 1992 May;11(5):1921–9.
Counter, C. M., et al. “Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity.EMBO J, vol. 11, no. 5, May 1992, pp. 1921–29. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05245.x.
Counter CM, Avilion AA, LeFeuvre CE, Stewart NG, Greider CW, Harley CB, Bacchetti S. Telomere shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity. EMBO J. 1992 May;11(5):1921–1929.

Published In

EMBO J

DOI

ISSN

0261-4189

Publication Date

May 1992

Volume

11

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1921 / 1929

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Transfection
  • Telomere
  • Kidney
  • Karyotyping
  • Humans
  • Developmental Biology
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
  • DNA
  • Chromosomes, Human
  • Cellular Senescence