Telomeres as dynamic structures of human genome: the effect of endogenous and exogenous factors

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Abstract

In this review, we summarize data on the structural and functional characteristics of human telomeres and analyze how endo- and exogenous factors influence telomere length. We elucidate the history of telomere investigation, describe their structure and functions, methods of their study. We also characterize the mechanisms of telomere lengthening and shortening. We discuss in detail endo- and exogenous factors affecting telomere length during gametogenesis, embryogenesis and in the postnatal period of human development. We describe how oxidative stress influences telomere length through guanine oxidation, single-strand breaks in DNA, decrease of telomerase activity and suppression of recombination in telomeric sequences. We conclude that the multidirectional effect of various factors, both sporadic and determined by the developmental program, ensures the dynamic equilibrium of telomere length. A shift in this balance due to increased influence of one or several factors can lead to telomere lengthening or shortening. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the telomere length changes and the critical periods of exposure to both protective and negative factors is important to contribute to the knowledge about telomere functions and to develop approaches of telomere length correction.

About the authors

Mikhail I. Krapivin

D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology

Author for correspondence.
Email: krapivin-mihail@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1693-5973
SPIN-code: 4989-1932
Scopus Author ID: 56507166200

Junior Researcher

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Yanina M. Sagurova

D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology

Email: yanina.sagurova96@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4947-8171
SPIN-code: 8908-7033
Scopus Author ID: 57212446052

Junior Researcher

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Olga A. Efimova

D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology

Email: efimova_o82@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4495-0983
SPIN-code: 6959-5014
Scopus Author ID: 14013324600

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Head of laboratory of cytogenetics and cytogenomics of reproduction

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Andrey V. Tikhonov

D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology

Email: tixonov5790@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2557-6642
SPIN-code: 3170-2629
Scopus Author ID: 57191821068

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Researcher

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Anna A. Pendina

D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology

Email: pendina@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9182-9188
SPIN-code: 3123-2133
Scopus Author ID: 6506976983

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Researcher

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Structure of human telomeres: a — linear structure of a telomere; b — secondary structure of a telomere in the form of a t-loop formed by shelterin proteins

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3. Fig. 2. Protective and negative factors affecting human telomere length through changes in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS)

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Copyright (c) 2022 Krapivin M.I., Sagurova Y.M., Efimova O.A., Tikhonov A.V., Pendina A.A.

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