Developmental Regulation of Plant Telomerase
Abstract
At the ends of chromosomes are short repeated DNA sequences called telomeres that maintain the stability of the chromosome. Telomeres are maintained by a unique ribonuclearprotein called telomerase. Telomerase is developmentally regulated in mammals. It is expressed in the germline and in tumor cells, but not in the normal somatic tissues. Plants, whose development is fundamentally different from animals, also regulate telomerase activity. Telomerase activity has been detected in undifferentiated tissue of several plant species but is present in very low levels or not at all in differentiated tissue. Tumors caused by Agrobacteria on tobacco stems showed telomerase induction. The flower and the outer woody stem of the plant Kalanchoe had active telomerase while the leaves, green stem, and inner woody stem had no telomerase activity. Tumors on the Kalanchoe stem also showed telomerase induction as was seen in tumors on tobacco stems. Lastly, consistent with genetic studies by Barbara McClintock in the 1940's telomerase was abundant in maize embryo but little to no activity was present in the endosperm. These studies indicate the developmental regulation of telomerase in plants.
Description
Program year: 1996/1997Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Grace, Emily Clare (1997). Developmental Regulation of Plant Telomerase. University Undergraduate Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -GraceE _1997.