Experimental activation of telomerase was recently shown to extend the in vitro replicative life-span of certain primary human cells, demonstrating that replicative senescence is controlled by telomere length. The experiments proposed here aim to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which the shortening of human telomeres induces senescence in vitro. We have identified four protein components of the human telomeric complex, two duplex telomeric binding proteins (TRF1 and TRF2), tankyrin, which interacts with TRF1, and HC1, a TRF2-interacting protein. Our preliminary evidence suggests that one of these factors, TRF2, may be involved in the regulation of telomere-induced senescence. We will use these four telomeric proteins in molecular genetic experiments to test three possible models for how telomere shortening might signal to the senescence pathway. The models are: (1) Telomere shortening creates a pool of free telomeric proteins that signal senescence. (2) Telomeres contain an inducer of senescence that is repressed by a second telomeric protein. As a consequence of telomeric shortening the repressor is lost, resulting in activation of a senescence program by the telomeric inducer. (3) Telomere shortening leads to the unmasking of the chromosome ends, activating a DNA damage checkpoint that induces senescence. Each of these models will be tested through the overexpression and inhibition of telomeric proteins using viral expression systems in primary human cells (AIMs 1-4).
In AIMs 5 and 6, the resulting phenotypes will be characterized in detail. Specifically, if a premature senescence-like phenotype is observed in response to overexpression or inhibition of telomeric proteins, we will use molecular, cytological, and cell biological techniques to compare this phenotype to scheduled, natural senescence in the same cell strain. In addition we will use microarray techniques in order to query the expression patterns of over 10,000 genes in normal and premature telomere-induced senescence. These experiments are expected to reveal the molecular pathway that allows cells to respond to the telomeric clock. Definition of this, as yet unknown, signaling pathway should reveal the nature of senescence and facilitate further analysis of its relevance to human aging.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG016642-05
Application #
6629822
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1-PKN-2 (J1))
Program Officer
Mccormick, Anna M
Project Start
1999-05-01
Project End
2004-07-31
Budget Start
2003-05-01
Budget End
2004-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$344,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Rockefeller University
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
071037113
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10065
de Lange, Titia (2018) What I got wrong about shelterin. J Biol Chem 293:10453-10456
Kratz, Katja; de Lange, Titia (2018) Protection of telomeres 1 proteins POT1a and POT1b can repress ATR signaling by RPA exclusion, but binding to CST limits ATR repression by POT1b. J Biol Chem 293:14384-14392
Timashev, Leonid A; Babcock, Hazen; Zhuang, Xiaowei et al. (2017) The DDR at telomeres lacking intact shelterin does not require substantial chromatin decompaction. Genes Dev 31:578-589
Erdel, Fabian; Kratz, Katja; Willcox, Smaranda et al. (2017) Telomere Recognition and Assembly Mechanism of Mammalian Shelterin. Cell Rep 18:41-53
Maciejowski, John; de Lange, Titia (2017) Telomeres in cancer: tumour suppression and genome instability. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 18:175-186
Schmutz, Isabelle; de Lange, Titia (2016) Shelterin. Curr Biol 26:R397-9
Doksani, Ylli; de Lange, Titia (2016) Telomere-Internal Double-Strand Breaks Are Repaired by Homologous Recombination and PARP1/Lig3-Dependent End-Joining. Cell Rep 17:1646-1656
Takai, Hiroyuki; Jenkinson, Emma; Kabir, Shaheen et al. (2016) A POT1 mutation implicates defective telomere end fill-in and telomere truncations in Coats plus. Genes Dev 30:812-26
de Lange, Titia (2015) A loopy view of telomere evolution. Front Genet 6:321
Tong, Adrian S; Stern, J Lewis; Sfeir, Agnel et al. (2015) ATM and ATR Signaling Regulate the Recruitment of Human Telomerase to Telomeres. Cell Rep 13:1633-46

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