Gottschling and his graduate student Miriam Singer devised a way to hunt for mutations in genes that must somehow be involved with telomere function in yeast. Since telomeres normally silence genes located near them, the researchers looked for mutations that would restore the expression of marker genes placed near two telomeres. Using that genetic trick, Singer discovered 10 new genes, but one stood out because mutations in it caused all telomeres to grow shorter. The researchers then demonstrated that this gene, called TLC1, encodes an essential RNA component of the telomerase enzyme. Gottschling now hopes that this yeast gene will lead him to all the other cogs in the telomerase machinery.
Yeast is a very powerful research tool.
Now we will be able to figure out who all the other key players are, and how the whole process is controlled. This will provide a sound rationale for new drug design. Because the vital genetic housekeeping functions are nearly the same in all cells, telomere maintenance in yeast and humans is very similar. The research reported today was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Pew Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.