The Blackburn lab seeks to understand the full roles of telomeres and telomerase in cell processes.
Overview
The research program of the laboratory focuses on telomeres, the structures stabilizing the ends of the eukaryotic chromosomes, and the enzyme telomerase. The mechanisms of telomere and telomerase functions are under study in organisms from yeasts to humans, and in cancers.Research
Work in the Blackburn laboratory concerns the synthesis and function of telomeres, the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeric DNA consists of tandem repeats of very simple sequences, one strand of which is synthesized by the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase. Telomerase specifies the sequence of telomeric DNA by using a short sequence within the telomerase RNA moiety as the template for DNA synthesis. Thus, telomeric DNA is unusual in being an essential chromosomal element synthesized by copying an RNA sequence; that is, by reverse transcription.Our goal is to understand the mechanism of telomerase action and its roles in cells. One important question we wish to answer is how the functions of telomerase are divided between the RNA and protein moieties of the enzyme: the RNA not only provides the template, but also has other functions. Specific RNA mutations destroy catalysis by telomerase, while others cause aberrant telomerase active site functions. Our studies of telomere synthesis by telomerase in cells led to the finding that cell division is impaired by the actions of certain types of mutant telomerases. Another question we address is whether telomerase has additional functions besides polymerizing telomeric DNA.
