Telomeres are known to have important roles in the development of cancers and in the aging process. Los Alamos, a leader in genetic research for decades, provided the first detailed information on the sequence and importance of human telomeres and on the importance of regions of chromosomes called centromeres in cell division. If the unstable cell dies, then nothing else happens. If it remains alive, however, the potential for the development of tumors or various cancers increases significantly, she added. In research published in the December issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team reported two significant findings.
Telomeres can break off as a result of radiation exposure, oxidative damage or various other means.
This clearly demonstrated that these proteins are necessary to prevent telomeric fusion in mammalian cells. The researchers' findings, however, present them with what they call an intriguing paradox. Through some unknown mechanism, the repair proteins allow a cell to recognize telomeres as natural ends and not broken DNA strands in need of repair. Additional studies are under way at Los Alamos and elsewhere to try to solve these mysteries. The Los Alamos part of the research team consisted of Bailey, Julianne Meyne, Bruce Lehnert and Edwin Goodwin, all of the Bioscience Division.