Abstract
A novel closed-tube format telomeric repeat amplification protocol specifically adapted to real-time detection and quantification of telomerase activity was developed. The assay utilizes energy transfer primers, which emit fluorescence only upon incorporation into polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification products. The assay, performed on a real-time detection instrument, is highly reproducible, sensitive, and specific. Telomerase activity in as few as 10 cultured cells can be quantified with a linear dynamic range more than 2.5 logs. In addition, the presence of potential PCR inhibitor(s) is readily detectable by inclusion of an internal PCR control labeled with a second color fluorescence.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Blackburn, E. H. (1991) Structure and function of telomeres. Nature 350, 569–563.
Zakitan, V. A. (1989) Structure and function of telomeres. Ann. Rev. Genet. 23, 579–604.
Watson, J. D. (1972) Origin of concatemeric T7 DNA. Nature New Biol. 239, 197–201.
Olovnikov, A. M. (1973) A theory of marginotomy: the incomplete copying template margin in enzymic synthesis of pronucleotides and biological significance of the phenomenon. J. Theor. Biol. 41, 181–190.
Greider, C. W. and Blackburn, E. H. (1989) A telomeric sequence in the RNA of Tetrahymena telomerase required for telomere repeats synthesis. Nature 337, 331–337.
Morin, G. B. (1989) The human telomere terminal transferase enzyme is a ribonucleoprotein that synthesizes TTAGGG repeats. Cell 59, 521–529.
Kim, N. W., Piatyszek, M. A., Prowse, K. R., et al. (1994) Specific association of human telomerase activity with immortal cells and cancer. Science 266, 2011–2014.
Shay, J. W. and Bacchetti, S. (1997) A survey of telomerase activity in human cancer. Eur. J. Cancer 33, 787–791.
Bodnar, A. G., Ouellette, M., Frolkis, M., et al. (1998) Extension of life-span by introduction of telomerase into normal human cell. Science 279, 349–352.
Bacchetti, S. and Counter, C. M. (1995) Telomeres and telomerase in human cancer. Int. J. Oncology 7, 423–432
Counter, C. M., Avilion, A. A., LeFeuvre, C. E., et al. (1992) Telomerase shortening associated with chromosome instability is arrested in immortal cells which express telomerase activity. EMBO J. 11, 1921–1929.
Nazarenko, I. A., Bhatnagar, S., and Hohman, R. J. (1997) A closed tube format for amplification and detection of DNA based energy transfer. Nucleic Acids Res. 25, 2516–2521.
Uehara, H., Nardone, G., Nazarenko, I. A., and Hohman, R. J. (1999) Detection of telomerase activity utilizing energy transfer primer: comparison with gel-and ELISA-based detection. Biotechniques 26, 552–558.
Myakishev, M., Khripin, Y., Hu, S., and Hamer, D. (2001) High throughput SNP genotyping by allele-specific PCR with universal energy transfer-labeled primers. Genome Res. 1, 163–169.
Stryer, L. (1978) Fluorescence energy transfer as a spectroscopic ruler. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 47, 819–846.
Wu, P. and Brand, L. (1994) Resonance energy transfer: methods and applications. Anal. Biochem. 218, 1–13.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Uehara, H. (2006). Real-Time Detection and Quantification of Telomerase Activity Utilizing Energy Transfer Primers. In: Didenko, V.V. (eds) Fluorescent Energy Transfer Nucleic Acid Probes. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 335. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59745-069-3:157
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59745-069-3:157
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-380-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-069-0
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols