简介:TelomeraseisanenzymethatmaintainstelomeresindividingcellsusingatemplateonitsinherentRNAcomponent.Additionally,theproteinpartTERT(TelomeraseReverseTranscriptase)hasvariousnon-canonicalfunctions.Forexample,itcanlocalizetomitochondriaunderincreasedstressandprotectcellsinvitrofromoxidativestress,DNAdamageandapoptosis.RecentlyithasbeendemonstratedthatTERTproteinpersistsinadultneuronsinthebrainanddataemergesuggestingthatitmighthaveaprotectivefunctioninthesepost-mitoticcellsaswell.WehaverecentlypublishedthatTERTproteinaccumulatedinmitochondriafrombraintissueofmicethathaveundergoneshort-termdietaryrestriction(DR)andrapamycintreatment.Thislocalizationcorrelatedtolowerlevelsofoxidativestressinthesebrainmitochondria.SincerapamycintreatmentdecreasesmTORsignalingwhichisalsothoughttoplayanimportantroleforthebeneficialeffectsofDR,weconcludethatthemTORpathwaymightbeinvolvedintheTERTlocalizationanditseffectsinbrainmitochondriainvivo.ThesedataareinlinewithpreviousfindingsfromourgroupaboutincreasedmitochondriallocalizationofTERTinAlzheimer'sdisease(AD)brainsandaprotectivefunctionofTERTproteininneuronsinvitroagainstpathologicaltau.