Claus Maria Azzalin Lab

Telomeres, long noncoding RNAs and genome stability

Telomeres are heterochromatic nucleoprotein structures ‘capping’ the very end of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeres are essential to protect chromosome ends and to impose a finite lifespan to cells and tissues. Dysfunctional telomeres cause severe chromosome instability, thereby unleashing cascades of cellular reactions that are common hallmarks of human diseases such as cancer and premature aging.

We employ molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry to understand how telomeres execute their protective functions and how telomeric dysfunctions are mechanistically linked to pathological conditions. In particular, we study how the telomeric long noncoding RNA TERRA participates in maintaining proper telomere structure and functions in both normal and diseased human cells.

We are currently exploring how TERRA supports telomere elongation in cancer cells either by promoting activity of the specialized reverse transcriptase telomerase or by triggering homologous recombination-mediated synthesis of telomeric DNA. We are also investigating the consequences of perturbing TERRA transcription and localization on telomere integrity and cellular physiology.

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