Abstract 2049 Telomerase Expression Levels Vary During Meiosis in Tetrahymena Thermophila

Telomeres are repetitive short sequences found at the ends of eukaryotic DNA, whose purpose is in part to prevent the shortening of DNA during DNA replication and protect the chromosomes. Telomerase, the enzyme responsible for telomere maintenance, comprises a reverse transcriptase subunit whose regulation during the cell cycle remains an area of active investigation. An ongoing study in the filamentous fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, examined the expression of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene, trtA, and found that expression levels further increase during meiosis rather than mitosis.