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Originally published in Science Express on 4 October 2007
Science 2 November 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5851, pp. 798 - 801
DOI: 10.1126/science.1147182
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Reports

Telomeric Repeat–Containing RNA and RNA Surveillance Factors at Mammalian Chromosome Ends

Claus M. Azzalin,1,2,3 Patrick Reichenbach,1,2,3 Lela Khoriauli,4 Elena Giulotto,4 Joachim Lingner1,2,3*

Telomeres, the DNA-protein complexes located at the end of linear eukaryotic chromosomes, are essential for chromosome stability. Until now, telomeres have been considered to be transcriptionally silent. We demonstrate that mammalian telomeres are transcribed into telomeric repeat–containing RNA (TERRA). TERRA molecules are heterogeneous in length, are transcribed from several subtelomeric loci toward chromosome ends, and localize to telomeres. We also show that suppressors with morphogenetic defects in genitalia (SMG) proteins, which are effectors of nonsense-mediated messenger RNA decay, are enriched at telomeres in vivo, negatively regulate TERRA association with chromatin, and protect chromosome ends from telomere loss. Thus, telomeres are actively transcribed into TERRA, and SMG factors represent a molecular link between TERRA regulation and the maintenance of telomere integrity.

1 Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
2 School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
3 "Frontiers in Genetics" National Centre for Competence in Research (NCCR), CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
4 University of Pavia, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, 27100 Pavia, Italy.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: joachim.lingner{at}isrec.ch

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