telomerase

te·lom·er·ase

T0095950 (tə-lŏm′ə-rās′, -rāz′)n. An enzyme that is found in the telomeres of chromosomes in germ cells, stem cells, and most cancer cells and that preserves the length of telomeres across cell divisions.

telomerase

(tɛˈlɒməˌreɪz) n (Biochemistry) an enzyme that is involved in the formation and repair of telomeres, so that chromosomes are not shortened during cell division

te•lom•er•ase

(təˈlɒm əˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz)
n. an enzyme, active chiefly in tumors and reproductive cells, that causes telomeres to lengthen: facilitates cell division and may account for the immortality of cancer cells. [telomere + -ase]

Thesaurus

Noun

telomerase - an enzyme in eukaryotic cells that can add telomeres to the ends of chromosomes after they divideenzyme - any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions

Translations

telomerase

[tĕ-lo´mer-ās] a DNA polymerase involved in the formation of telomeres and the maintenance of telomere sequences during replication.

tel·o·me·rase

(tel-ō'mĕ-rās), A reverse transcriptase comprising an RNA template, which acts as a die for the TTAGGG sequence, and a catalytic protein component that is not found in normal, aging somatic cells. Telomerase mediates the repair or preservation of telomere regions (terminal sequences) of chromosomes.

The aging process that takes place in normal somatic cells and the natural limit on the number of times such cells can undergo mitosis involve a sequential shortening of telomeres due to failure of terminal sequences to be replicated during mitosis. Cells in which this shortening does not occur (cancer cells, germ cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and others) display a transient expression of telomerase, which not only delays the erosion of telomeres but actually adds DNA bases to telomeres. Experimental transfection of a gene for the catalytic component of telomerase into normal, aging cells results in extension of telomeres. Restoring telomere length appears to reset gene expression, cell morphology, and the replicative life span. It has therefore been suggested that such procedures may permit therapeutic modification of the cellular mechanisms underlying age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer dementia. Cellular aging is but one element of clinical aging, however, others being heredity and environment. Although telomerase expression is an important marker of malignancy, it is not itself the cause of cancer. Telomerase expression and telomere lengthening apparently do not alter normal cell cycle control, chromosome complement, or cell morphology.

telomerase

(tə-lŏm′ə-rās′, -rāz′)n. An enzyme that is found in the telomeres of chromosomes in germ cells, stem cells, and most cancer cells and that preserves the length of telomeres across cell divisions.

telomerase

The enzyme that can reforms the TELOMERES at the ends of chromosomes. Telomerase is found in cancers and is able to prevent the shortening that would otherwise occur with repeated replication, thus allowing cancerous cells in culture to achieve immortality. Telomerase consists of two subunits, telomerase reverse transcriptase and an RNA component.

telomerase

an enzyme that adds specific nucleotides to the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes to form TELOMERES.

telomerase

te·lom·er·ase

telomerase

te•lom•er•ase

telomerase

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tel·o·me·rase

telomerase

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Words related to telomerase

noun an enzyme in eukaryotic cells that can add telomeres to the ends of chromosomes after they divide

Related Words