Telomere dynamics in mammals

Abstract

Telomeres are specialized structures found at the end of linear chromosomes. Telomere structure and functions are conserved throughout evolution and are essential for genome stability, preventing chromosome ends from being recognized as damaged DNA and from being fused or degraded by the DNA repair machinery. The structure of telomeres is intrinsically dynamic and affected by multiple processes that impact their length and nucleoprotein composition, thus leading to functional and structural heterogeneity. We review here the most significant facets of telomere metabolism and its dynamics, with an emphasis on human biology.