This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fasching, C. L. Articles by Reddel, R. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fasching, C. L. Articles by Reddel, R. R.

Telomerase-Independent Telomere Length Maintenance in the Absence of Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres–Associated Promyelocytic Leukemia Bodies

Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Requests for reprints: Roger Reddel, Children's Medical Research Institute, 214 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, New South Wales 2145, Australia. Phone: 61-2-9687-2800; Fax: 61-2-9687-2120; E-mail: rreddel{at}cmri.usyd.edu.au.

Immortal tumor cells and cell lines employ a telomere maintenance mechanism that allows them to escape the normal limits on proliferative potential. In the absence of telomerase, telomere length may be maintained by an alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. All human ALT cell lines described thus far have nuclear domains of unknown function, termed ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies (APB), containing promyelocytic leukemia protein, telomeric DNA and telomere binding proteins. Here we describe telomerase-negative human cells with telomeres that contain a substantial proportion of nontelomeric DNA sequences (like telomerase-null Saccharomyces cerevisiae survivor type I cells) and that are maintained in the absence of APBs. In other respects, they resemble typical ALT cell lines: the telomeres are highly heterogeneous in length (ranging from very short to very long) and undergo rapid changes in length. In addition, these cells are capable of copying a targeted DNA tag from one telomere into other telomeres. These data show that APBs are not always essential for ALT-mediated telomere maintenance.

Key Words: Alternative lengthening of telomeres • ALT-associated PML bodies • Werner syndrome • SV40

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z.-H. Zhong, W.-Q. Jiang, A. J. Cesare, A. A. Neumann, R. Wadhwa, and R. R. Reddel Disruption of Telomere Maintenance by Depletion of the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 Complex in Cells That Use Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres J. Biol. Chem., October 5, 2007; 282(40): 29314 - 29322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. L. Pike and J. Heierhorst Mdt1 Facilitates Efficient Repair of Blocked DNA Double-Strand Breaks and Recombinational Maintenance of Telomeres Mol. Cell. Biol., September 15, 2007; 27(18): 6532 - 6545. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. T. Calado, S. A. Graf, K. L. Wilkerson, S. Kajigaya, P. J. Ancliff, Y. Dror, S. J. Chanock, P. M. Lansdorp, and N. S. Young Mutations in the SBDS gene in acquired aplastic anemia Blood, August 15, 2007; 110(4): 1141 - 1146. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. L. Fasching, A. A. Neumann, A. Muntoni, T. R. Yeager, and R. R. Reddel DNA Damage Induces Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) Associated Promyelocytic Leukemia Bodies that Preferentially Associate with Linear Telomeric DNA Cancer Res., August 1, 2007; 67(15): 7072 - 7077. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Multani and S. Chang WRN at telomeres: implications for aging and cancer J. Cell Sci., March 1, 2007; 120(5): 713 - 721. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Compton, J.-H. Choi, A. J. Cesare, S. Ozgur, and J. D. Griffith Xrcc3 and Nbs1 Are Required for the Production of Extrachromosomal Telomeric Circles in Human Alternative Lengthening of Telomere Cells Cancer Res., February 15, 2007; 67(4): 1513 - 1519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Brachner, S. Sasgary, C. Pirker, C. Rodgarkia, M. Mikula, W. Mikulits, H. Bergmeister, U. Setinek, M. Wieser, S.-F. Chin, et al. Telomerase- and Alternative Telomere Lengthening-Independent Telomere Stabilization in a Metastasis-Derived Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line: Effect of Ectopic hTERT. Cancer Res., April 1, 2006; 66(7): 3584 - 3592. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Muntoni and R. R. Reddel The first molecular details of ALT in human tumor cells Hum. Mol. Genet., October 15, 2005; 14(suppl_2): R191 - R196. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Johnson, R. J. Varkonyi, J. Schwalm, R. Cragle, A. Klein-Szanto, A. Patchefsky, E. Cukierman, M. von Mehren, and D. Broccoli Multiple Mechanisms of Telomere Maintenance Exist in Liposarcomas Clin. Cancer Res., August 1, 2005; 11(15): 5347 - 5355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]