STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND REPLICATION OF SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE TELOMERES

A combination of classical genetic, biochemical, and molecular biologi cal approaches have generated a rather detailed understanding of the s tructure and function of Saccharomyces telomeres. Yeast telomeres are essential to allow the cell to distinguish intact from broken chromoso mes, to protect the end of the chromosome from degradation, and to fac ilitate the replication of the very end of the chromosome. In addition , yeast telomeres are a specialized site for gene expression in that t he transcription of genes placed near them is reversibly repressed. A surprisingly large number of genes have been identified that influence either telomere structure or telomere function (or both), although in many cases the mechanism of action of these genes is poorly understoo d. This article reviews the recent literature on telomere biology and highlights areas for future research.