TELOMERASE FROM SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE CONTAINS SEVERAL PROTEIN SUBUNITS AND MAY HAVE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES DEPENDING ON THE PROTEIN-CONTENT

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein responsible for maintaining telomere s during the cell cycle [1,2]. Here we describe a two-step purificatio n procedure for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase complex, We ha ve found that the properties (processivity, nuclease activity) of telo merase depend on the isolation procedure. Using a cross-linking approa ch, me have revealed several proteins that could be components of the telomerase complex. Furthermore, spectra of cross-linked proteins diff er in processive and non-processive telomerase complexes. (C) 1998 Fed eration of European Biochemical Societies.