TELOMERES, NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL ASPECT S

Telomeres, the nucleoproteic complexes at both ends of eukaryotic chro mosomes, are multifunctional structures essential to genome integrity. They are required to protect the extremity from degradation and fusio n and they allow the complete replication of the chromosomal DNA molec ule. Modifications of their structures may be directly involved in the control of cell proliferation, and consequently could play a role in oncogenesis. From yeast to human, different experimental approaches ha ve allowed a better understanding of telomeric components and function s, and should open up new perspectives for their use as a clinical tar get.