Review

Need telomere maintenance? Call 911

Sofia Francia¹, Robert S Weiss² and Fabrizio d'Adda di Fagagna^1*

• * Corresponding author: Fabrizio d'Adda di Fagagna fabrizio.dadda@ifom-ieo-campus.it

Author Affiliations

¹ IFOM Foundation – FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, Milan, Italy

² Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

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Cell Division 2007, 2:3 doi:10.1186/1747-1028-2-3

Published: 17 January 2007

Abstract

"Natura non facit saltum" (nature makes no leap) the Latins used to say, meaning that nature does not like discontinuities. Cells make no exception and indeed any discontinuity in the DNA double helix is promptly detected, triggering an alteration of cell proliferation and an attempt to repair. Yet, linear chromosomes bear DNA ends that are compatible with normal cell proliferation and they escape, under normal conditions, any repair. How telomeres, the chromosomes tips, achieve that is not fully understood. We recently observed that the Rad9/Hus1/Rad1 (911) complex, previously known for its functions in DNA metabolism and DNA damage responses, is constitutively associated with telomeres and plays an important role in their maintenance. Here, we summarize the available data and discuss the potential mechanisms of 911 action at telomeres.