caa a22 4500 606177299 CHVBK 20210128100751.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20151101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00018-015-1991-2 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00018-015-1991-2 Genetic and epigenetic trends in telomere research: a novel way in immunoepigenetics [Elektronische Daten] [Dora Melicher, Edit Buzas, Andras Falus] Telomeres are protective heterochromatic structures that cap the end of linear chromosomes and play a key role in preserving genomic stability. Telomere length represents a balance between processes that shorten telomeres during cell divisions with incomplete DNA replication and the ones that lengthen telomeres by the action of telomerase, an RNA-protein complex with reverse transcriptase activity which adds telomeric repeats to DNA molecule ends. Telomerase activity and telomere length have a crucial role in cellular ageing and in the pathobiology of several human diseases attracting intense research. The last few decades have witnessed remarkable advances in our understanding about telomeres, telomere-associated proteins, and the biogenesis and regulation of the telomerase holoenzyme complex, as well as about telomerase activation and the telomere-independent functions of telomerase. Emerging data have revealed that telomere length can be modified by genetic and epigenetic factors, sex hormones, reactive oxygen species and inflammatory reactions. It has become clear that, in order to find out more about the factors influencing the rate of telomere attrition in vivo, it is crucial to explore both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Since the telomere/telomerase assembly is under the control of multiple epigenetic influences, the unique design of twin studies could help disentangle genetic and environmental factors in the functioning of the telomere/telomerase system. It is surprising that the literature on twin studies investigating this topic is rather scarce. This review aims to provide an overview of some important immune response- and epigenetics-related aspects of the telomere/telomerase system demanding more research, while presenting the available twin data published in connection with telomere research so far. By emphasising what we know and what we still do not know in these areas, another purpose of this review is to urge more twin studies in telomere research. Springer Basel, 2015 Telomere length nationallicence Telomerase nationallicence Twin epigenetics nationallicence Immune cells nationallicence In vitro nationallicence Telomere twin studies nationallicence Epigenetic regulation nationallicence Melicher Dora Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut Buzas Edit Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut Falus Andras Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences Springer Basel 72/21(2015-11-01), 4095-4109 1420-682X 72:21<4095 2015 72 18 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-015-1991-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 review-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-015-1991-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Melicher Dora Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Buzas Edit Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Falus Andras Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences Springer Basel 72/21(2015-11-01), 4095-4109 1420-682X 72:21<4095 2015 72 18