Chromosome healing: spontaneous and programmed de novo telomere formation by telomerase. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Telomeres are protective caps for chromosome ends that are essential for genome stability. Broken chromosomes missing a telomere will not be maintained unless the chromosome is 'healed' with the formation of a new telomere. Chromosome healing can be a programmed event following developmentally regulated chromosome fragmentation, or it may occur spontaneously when a chromosome is accidentally broken. In this article we discuss the consequences of telomere loss and the possible mechanisms that the enzyme telomerase employs to form telomeres de novo on broken chromosome ends.

published proceedings

  • Bioessays

author list (cited authors)

  • Melek, M., & Shippen, D. E.

citation count

  • 78

complete list of authors

  • Melek, M||Shippen, DE

publication date

  • April 1996

publisher