Cellular mechanisms that affect the stability of telomeric DNA repeats

What is it about?

Telomeric DNA repeats are found at the ends of linear chromosomes where they, together with specialized proteins that bind to them, protect chromosome ends from degradation and unwanted DNA repair activities. Telomeric repeats can also be found at internal locations in the genome, where they are called interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs). ITSs are prone to breakage and are associated with human diseases. In this study, using baker’s yeast as a model organism, we show that instability at ITSs is driven by multiple factors, and identify genes that either promote or suppress gross chromosomal rearrangements induced by the presence of an ITS.

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