QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Vol. 19, Issue 9, 3793-3800, September 2008

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: E08-02-0184v1 E08-02-0184v2 19/9/3793    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in Mol. Biol. Cell Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tomlinson, R. L. Articles by Terns, M. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tomlinson, R. L. Articles by Terns, M. P.

Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Is Required for the Localization of Telomerase RNA to Cajal Bodies and Telomeres in Human Cancer Cells

Rebecca L. Tomlinson^*, Eladio B. Abreu^*, Tania Ziegler^*, Hinh Ly, Christopher M. Counter, Rebecca M. Terns^*, and Michael P. Terns^*

*Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332; and Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710

Submitted February 20, 2008; Accepted June 6, 2008
Monitoring Editor: A. Gregory Matera

InCytes from MBC

Telomere maintenance by telomerase is critical for the unlimited division potential of most human cancer cells. The two essential components of human telomerase, telomerase RNA (hTR) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), are recruited from distinct subnuclear sites to telomeres during S phase. Throughout the remainder of the cell cycle hTR is found primarily in Cajal bodies. The localization of hTR to Cajal bodies and telomeres is specific to cancer cells where telomerase is active and is not observed in primary cells. Here we show that the trafficking of hTR to both telomeres and Cajal bodies depends on hTERT. RNA interference–mediated depletion of hTERT in cancer cells leads to loss of hTR from both Cajal bodies and telomeres without affecting hTR levels. In addition, expression of hTERT in telomerase-negative cells (including primary and ALT cancer cell lines) induces hTR to localize to both sites. Factors that did not stimulate hTR localization in our experiments include increased hTR RNA levels and Cajal body numbers, and expression of SV40 large T antigen and oncogenic Ras. Our findings suggest that the trafficking of telomerase to Cajal bodies and telomeres in cancer cells correlates with and depends on the assembly of the enzyme.

Address correspondence to: Rebecca M. Terns (rterns{at}bmb.uga.edu) or Michael P. Terns (mterns{at}bmb.uga.edu)

Abbreviations used: hTR, human telomerase RNA; hTERT, human telomerase reverse transcriptase; ALT, alternative lengthening of telomeres.

Related articles in Mol. Biol. Cell:

InCytes from MBC, September 2008

Mol. Biol. Cell 2008 19: 3615. [PDF]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. M. Hearst, A. S. Gilder, S. S. Negi, M. D. Davis, E. M. George, A. A. Whittom, C. G. Toyota, A. Husedzinovic, O. J. Gruss, and M. D. Hebert Cajal-body formation correlates with differential coilin phosphorylation in primary and transformed cell lines J. Cell Sci., June 1, 2009; 122(11): 1872 - 1881. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]