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Critical role of the POT1 OB domain in maintaining genomic stability

Oncogene volume 36, pages 1908–1910 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding (OB) domain-containing proteins have been identified as critical for telomere maintenance, DNA repair, transcription and other DNA metabolism processes. Protection of telomere 1 (POT1), a telomere binding protein, has an OB domain like single-strand binding protein (SSB1). In this issue of Oncogene, Gu et al. present evidence that POT1, like SSB1, is required to maintain genomic stability. This work, in conjunction with results from previous investigators, highlights the importance of POT1 in telomere metabolism. Inactivation of POT1 telomere protective functions in mouse models lacking p53 expression in the breast epithelium unleashes a torrent of DNA damage responses (DDRs) at the telomeres, culminating in karyotypic alterations with massive arrays of telomere fusions. Therefore, POT1 is not only required to promote telomere homeostasis, but also plays an essential role in maintaining a stable genome.

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Acknowledgements

The research in the author’s laboratory is funded by the National Institute of Health Grants CA129537 and GM109768.

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  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, The Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    T K Pandita

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Correspondence to T K Pandita.

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Pandita, T. Critical role of the POT1 OB domain in maintaining genomic stability. Oncogene 36, 1908–1910 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2016.365

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