telomeres tagged posts

Cellular recycling process, thought to fuel cancer’s growth, can actually prevent it. Scientists studying the relationship of telomeres to cancer made a surprising discovery: a cellular recycling process called autophagy – generally thought of as a survival mechanism – actually promotes the death of cells, thereby preventing cancer initiation.

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Artist’s impression of the i-motif DNA structure inside cells (strands with green bars), along with the antibody-based tool used to detect it (Y-shaped yellow structure) Chris Hammang

Scientists have tracked down an elusive ‘tangled knot’ of DNA. In a world first, Australian researchers have identified a new DNA structure – called the i-motif – inside cells. A twisted ‘knot’ of DNA, the i-motif has never before been directly seen inside living cells. The new findings, from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, are published today in the leading journal Nature Chemistry.

Deep inside the cells in our body lies our DNA. The information in the DNA code – all 6 billion A, C, G and T letters – provides precise instructions for how our bodies are built, and how they work...

Binding of p53 to non‐canonical response elements in human subtelomeres confers enhancer‐like activities and correlates with increased telomere stability. Non‐canonical p53 binding sites were identified in the subtelomeres of both human and mouse. Subtelomeric p53 response elements confer transcription activation in vitro and p53‐dependent induction of TERRA, eRNA‐like transcripts, and more distal subtelomeric genes. p53 status correlates with enhanced telomere stability and survival in response to etoposide‐induced DNA damage. Stress‐induced p53 binding to the subtelomere correlates with increased histone acetylation and decreased γH2AX. CRISPR deletion of the p53 response element ameliorates these effects.

New research shows p53 is able to suppress accumulated DNA damage a...