The most complete map to date of the human genetic material located next to the ends of chromosomes indicates more active genes than were thought to exist there, a study by researchers at UC Irvine's College of Medicine and two other institutions has f ound. The finding, which appears in a special issue of Nature devoted to genetics, is part of the Human Genome Project's final stages of mapping the entire human genetic material and may provide insight into how cancer is triggered by changes in genes.
Telomeres are the tips of chromosomes in nearly all plants and animals, including humans.
They are essential for maintaining the stability of genes. In addition, they ensure that chromosomes are copied accurately during cell division. As cells age, they shorten and provide an unknown impetus for cell death. Researchers are also studying telomere activity in cancer cells, in which they do not shorten and may make the cells grow and divide uncontrollably, resulting in cancer. We found, however, that working genes exist all the way to the telomere on some chromosomes.