Explores the structure, function, and emerging applications of telomerases

With contributions from leading experts and pioneers in the field, this book offers a comprehensive review of telomerase structure and function in a variety of organisms, including yeasts, ciliates, plants, and mammals. Chapters provide integrated discussions that examine the connections between the chemistry, biology, and emerging clinical applications of the telomerase enzyme. In particular, readers will gain new insights into the role of telomerases in cellular senescence, aging, and cancer.

Telomerases begins with an overview of the telomerase complex, followed by in-depth discussions of the chemistry of its two critical components: TERT and TER. Next, the book brings readers up to date with our current understanding of telomerases, including:

• Biological regulatory mechanisms that control the synthesis and assembly of the telomerase complex
• Regulations imposed by the nucleoprotein complex at chromosome ends
• Studies underscoring the role of the telomerase enzyme as a promising target and a useful tool in medical interventions

The book concludes with an essay that places the telomerase enzyme in an evolutionary context, illustrating its place within the highly diverse family of reverse transcriptases.

Telomerases is recommended for biochemists, enzymologists, protein scientists, cancer researchers, biophysicists, geneticists, and cell, molecular, and chromosome biologists. Explaining what the latest research in the field reveals about the structure and function of telomerases and how this research has informed investigations into their clinical applications, the book points to future avenues of research that will enable us to better understand the chemistry, biology, and clinical applications of telomerases.