Telomeres are located at the ends of a chromosome, their only job is to protect genetic material on the chromosomes from degradation. Or so we thought. Until recently, there was no strong evidence that telomeres played any other role in genetics besides providing a buffer zone. Researchers Jerry W. Shay and Woodring Wright of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have uncovered that when telomeres come in contact with other genes (via nuclear folding) they actually alter how the genes are expressed. Furthermore, as telomeres shorten due to aging, the patterns of chromosome looping and gene expression change!
Telomeres interact with other genes through intricate looping patterns. As telomere length was manipulated by the researchers, the looping patterns reconfigured and changed drastically. The specific mechanism by which this occurs remains fuzzy, to say the least. It is possible that the telomere shortening can regulate gene expression throughout the aging process for individual cells and the organism as a whole. In the article from The-Scientist.com Dr. Shay suggests that, "cells could alter gene expression to slow cell division in ailing cells even before telomeres become critically shortened".
These new findings will hopefully open the door to more research about the genetic role telomeres play. Also, one could speculate that manipulation of telomere length could eventually lead to a cure for cancer, by stopping cell division of malignant cells. Or that the telomeres trigger gene expression in healthy cells such as during developmental stages in humans. The possibilities remain endless at this point.
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