Chromosome Ends in Chironomus Tentans Do Not Have Long Single-Stranded Overhangs Characterizing Canonical Telomeres

Authors: Rosén M.¹; Edström J-E.²

Source: Chromosome Research, Volume 10, Number 1, 2002 , pp. 21-31(11)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Single-stranded overhangs of the G-rich strand belong to the conserved features of telomeres composed of short telomeric repeats. These structures are thought to be essential for the maintenance of proper telomeric structure and function and the mechanism of their generation is telomerase-independent. We have examined the presence of single-stranded overhangs in Chironomus tentans, a dipteran insect lacking canonical telomeres that uses 350-bp repeats to terminate its chromosomes. Using a non-denaturing in-gel hybridization technique, we found that C. tentans telomeres are unlikely to have single-stranded overhangs longer than 30 nt found in most other higher eukaryotes. These differences might reflect special capping mechanisms for telomeres terminated with long complex repeats.

Keywords: Chironomus tentans; 3 prime -overhangs; repetitive DNA; single strand protrusions; telomere

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Genetics, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden 2: CMB, Medical Nobel Institute, Box 285, Karolinska Institute, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Tel: +46-8-7287558; Fax: +46-8-313529, E-mail: jan-erik.edstrom@cmb.ki.se

Publication date: 2002-01-01