ROLE OF THE TELOMERIC DNA-BINDING PROTEIN TRF2 IN THE STABILITY OF HUMAN-CHROMOSOME ENDS

A major issue in telomere research is to understand how the integrity of chromosome ends is preserved. A recent study shows that expression of a dominant-negative form of the human telomeric protein TRF2 increa ses the number of chromosome fusions in immortalized cells and decreas es the quantity of G-rich telomeric DNA 3' overhang, the G tail.((1)) Consequently, TRF2 appears to control the structure of the very end of the chromosomal DNA molecule and to prevent recombination between two telomeres. Remarkably, the same study reveals a potential role of TRF 2 in cell division control. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.