端粒与端粒酶

——2009年诺贝尔生理学和医学奖

       10月5日，瑞典皇家科学院诺贝尔奖委员会宣布将2009年度诺贝尔生理学或医学奖授予美国加利福尼亚旧金山大学的Elizabeth Blackburn、美国巴尔的摩约翰·霍普金斯医学院的Carol Greider、美国哈佛医学院的Jack Szostak，以表彰他们发现了端粒和端粒酶保护染色体的机理。
       在细胞分裂时染色体如何进行完整复制，如何免于退化，其中奥秘，全部蕴藏在端粒和端粒酶上。细胞每分裂一次，端粒就缩短一次，细胞就会衰老；当端粒不能再缩短时，细胞就无法继续分裂从而死亡。而端粒酶可以合成端粒，如果端粒酶活性高，就能维持端粒长度，细胞就难以衰老，甚至产生不死性，这也是引起癌症的重要机理。
       端粒的产生及其功能详见下图：


       CMBI曾在158、296期进行过特别报导，更多资料，请参考端粒及端粒酶相关文献。

Elizabeth Blackburn

• Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation of Cdc13 coordinates telomere elongation during cell-cycle progression. Cell. 2009 Jan 9;136(1):50-61.
• Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2008 Nov;9(11):1048-57.
• Telomeres and telomerase: the path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging. Nat Med. 2006 Oct;12(10):1133-8.
• Tracking telomerase. Cell. 2004 Jan 23;116(2 Suppl):S83-6, 1 p following S86.
• Nonchromosomal Genes: Extrachromosomal Elements in Lower Eukaryotes. Science. 1987 Jul 17;237(4812):307.

Carol Greider

• Telomerase mutations in families with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2007 Mar 29;356(13):1317-26.
• Telomeres and telomerase: the path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging. Nat Med. 2006 Oct;12(10):1133-8.
• Short telomeres, even in the presence of telomerase, limit tissue renewal capacity. Cell. 2005 Dec 16;123(6):1121-31.
• Telomere fusion to chromosome breaks reduces oncogenic translocations and tumour formation. Nat Cell Biol. 2005 Jul;7(7):706-11.
• Telomere dysfunction and the initiation of genome instability. Nat Rev Cancer. 2003 Aug;3(8):623-7.

Jack Szostak

• Template-directed synthesis of a genetic polymer in a model protocell. Nature. 2008 Jul 3;454(7200):122-5.
• Selection and evolution of enzymes from a partially randomized non-catalytic scaffold. Nature. 2007 Aug 16;448(7155):828-31.
• Telomeres and telomerase: the path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging. Nat Med. 2006 Oct;12(10):1133-8.
• A genomewide search for ribozymes reveals an HDV-like sequence in the human CPEB3 gene. Science. 2006 Sep 22;313(5794):1788-92.
• Experimental models of primitive cellular compartments: encapsulation, growth, and division. Science. 2003 Oct 24;302(5645):618-22.

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