The number of divisions remaining to a cell correlates with the length of the repetitive DNA at the very ends of the chromosomes, the telomeres. Cells with short telomeres can go through only a few divisions. We are trying to see whether loss of telomeric DNA is the direct cause of cellular senescence. Please visit the Yeast Cell Ananlysis Project Selected Publications Nash, R., G. Tokiwa, S. Anand, K. Erickson, and A.B. Futcher. 1988. Harley, C.B., A.B. Futcher, and C.W. Greider.
Telomeres shorten during ageing of human fibroblasts.
Amon, A., M. Tyers, B. Futcher, and K. Nasmyth. 1993. Tyers, M., G. Tokiwa, and B. Futcher. 1993. Schneider, B.L., Q.-H. Yang, and A.B. Futcher. 1996. Linkage of replication to Start by the Cdk inhibitor Sic1.