摘要
端粒的生物学功能主要是保护染色体末端,避免核酸酶对染色体末端的降解,防止染色体之间发生融合和重排。大多数人类肿瘤细胞通常通过端粒酶活性的重新激活来延长端粒,从而稳定染色体端粒DNA的长度。端粒酶是由端粒酶逆转录酶和端粒酶RNA模板组成的具有特殊逆转录活性的核糖核蛋白复合物。抑制端粒酶阳性细胞中的端粒酶活性会导致细胞凋亡或衰老。目前有多种以端粒和端粒酶为靶点来进行肿瘤治疗的策略。
The main biological function of telomere is protecting the end of chromosome from end-to-end fusion, recombination and degradation. In most malignant cells, the maintenance of telomeres is achieved by upregulating the expression of the telomerase enzyme. Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase that is minimally composed of a protein catalytic subunit and a RNA component, The inhibition of the telomerase activity in hTERT-positive cells leads to senescencelike growth arrest and apoptosis. Therefore, telomeres and telomerase have been proposed as preferential targets for anticancer drug development.
出处
《生物技术通讯》
CAS
2007年第4期670-673,共4页
Letters in Biotechnology
关键词
端粒
端粒酶
肿瘤治疗
telomere
telomerase
cancer therapy