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Vol. 15, Issue 8, 3719-3728, August 2004

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Modulation of Telomere Length Dynamics by the Subtelomeric Region of Tetrahymena Telomeres

Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0524

Submitted March 19, 2004; Accepted May 18, 2004
Monitoring Editor: Joseph Gall

Tetrahymena telomeres usually consist of 250 base pairs of T₂G₄ repeats, but they can grow to reach a new length set point of up to 900 base pairs when kept in log culture at 30°C. We have examined the growth profile of individual macronuclear telomeres and have found that the rate and extent of telomere growth are affected by the subtelomeric region. When the sequence of the rDNA subtelomeric region was altered, we observed a decrease in telomere growth regardless of whether the GC content was increased or decreased. In both cases, the ordered structure of the subtelomeric chromatin was disrupted, but the effect on the telomeric complex was relatively minor. Examination of the telomeres from non-rDNA chromosomes showed that each telomere exhibited a unique and characteristic growth profile. The subtelomeric regions from individual chromosome ends did not share common sequence elements, and they each had a different chromatin structure. Thus, telomere growth is likely to be regulated by the organization of the subtelomeric chromatin rather than by a specific DNA element. Our findings suggest that at each telomere the telomeric complex and subtelomeric chromatin cooperate to form a unique higher order chromatin structure that controls telomere length.

^* Corresponding author. E-mail address: carolyn.price{at}uc.edu.

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