Telomerase activity and telomere length in male germ cells. 2015

Saffet Ozturk
Department of Histology and Embryology, Akdeniz University, School of Medicine, Campus, Antalya, Turkey sozturk@akdeniz.edu.tr.

Telomeres are located at the outermost ends of all eukaryotic chromosomes and provide for the maintenance of genomic stability and integrity during the life span of organisms. The length of telomeres shortens due to each round of DNA replication, genotoxic insults, and/or reactive oxygen species. To counteract this shortening, certain types of cells, including stem cells, male/female germline cells, granulosa cells, early embryos, and most cancerous cells, express an enzyme known as telomerase, which has the potential of restoring the shortened telomeres. Presence of telomerase activity in the male germ cells ensures maintenance of telomere length at maximum levels during spermatogenesis despite telomere attrition due to DNA replication or other genotoxic factors. In this review, telomerase activity and telomere length in mammalian male germ cells during spermatogenesis are evaluated in detail based on the studies in this field. Also, the relationship between telomerase activity/telomere length and development of male infertility is comprehensively discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D005854 Germ Cells The reproductive cells in multicellular organisms at various stages during GAMETOGENESIS. Gamete,Gametes,Germ-Line Cells,Germ Line,Cell, Germ,Cell, Germ-Line,Cells, Germ,Cells, Germ-Line,Germ Cell,Germ Line Cells,Germ Lines,Germ-Line Cell
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013091 Spermatogenesis The process of germ cell development in the male from the primordial germ cells, through SPERMATOGONIA; SPERMATOCYTES; SPERMATIDS; to the mature haploid SPERMATOZOA. Spermatocytogenesis,Spermiogenesis
D016615 Telomere A terminal section of a chromosome which has a specialized structure and which is involved in chromosomal replication and stability. Its length is believed to be a few hundred base pairs. Telomeres
D019098 Telomerase An essential ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase that adds telomeric DNA to the ends of eukaryotic CHROMOSOMES. Telomerase Catalytic Subunit,Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase,Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Catalytic Subunit,Catalytic Subunit, Telomerase,Reverse Transcriptase, Telomerase,Subunit, Telomerase Catalytic,Transcriptase, Telomerase Reverse

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