telomerase

American  

[tuh-lom-uh-reys, ‑-reyz] / təˈlɒm əˌreɪs, ‑ˌreɪz /

noun

1. an enzyme, active chiefly in tumors and reproductive cells, that causes telomeres to lengthen: facilitates cell division and may account for the immortality of cancer cells.

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telomerase British  

/ tɛˈlɒməˌreɪz /

noun

1. an enzyme that is involved in the formation and repair of telomeres, so that chromosomes are not shortened during cell division

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telomerase Scientific  

/ tə-lŏm′ə-rās′,-rāz′ /

1. An enzyme that preserves the length of telomeres across cell divisions in germ cells, stem cells, and most cancer cells. A kind of reverse transcriptase, telomerase is an RNA-containing enzyme that synthesizes the DNA of telomeres by reverse transcription. It is active during DNA replication and is thought to play a role in the proliferation and apparent immortality of cells in which it is present. In cells that lack telomerase (that is, in most somatic cells of the body), the telomeres of chromosomes shorten and eventually disappear over repeated cell divisions. The inhibition of telomerase is being investigated as a method of killing cancerous cells.

2. See more at telomere

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Etymology

Origin of telomerase

telomere + -ase

Example Sentences

Scientists have long known how telomerase maintains the length of the G-rich strand, but only recently was it recognized that the same problem also exists for the C-rich strand.

From Science Daily

The enzyme telomerase plays a key role in maintaining the length of telomeres as chromosomes replicate during cell division.

From Science Daily

Further, telomerase is only part of the solution -- cells also use the CST-Polα-primase complex, which has been extensively studied in de Lange's laboratory.

From Science Daily

Consider the enzyme telomerase, which is responsible for maintaining protective telomeres at the natural ends of chromosomes.

From Science Daily

But treating people with telomerase would be risky because of the chance of causing cancer, as well as the difficulty of getting the enzyme into every cell in the body.

From Science Magazine