Instituto de Histologia e Embriologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av.
Telomeres are the stable ends of linear chromosomes in eukaryotes.
These complex protein-nucleic acid structures are essential to maintain genomic stability and the integrity of linear chromosomes. Linear chromosomal ends appear to be essential for fusions to take place. These fusions do not resolve, leading to cycles of chromosomal breakage and rejoining and severe genome rearrangements. Our analysis suggests that the function encoded by the mutant gene is required to protect the linear ends of chromosomes.