Research Progress of Parasite Telomerase and Its Interacting Proteins

Abstract

Telomerase is a nucleoprotein that contains reverse transcriptase activity. It is reversely transcribed into DNA at the end of its chromosome using its own RNA as a template to ensure the length and stability of telomeres. Its physiological function is closely related to the life process of cells. In recent years, the research on telomeres and telomerase has become a new hotspot, people have a more in-depth research and scientific understanding of their structures and functions, and scientists have also attached great importance to the research progress of telomerase increasingly. Researchers in parasite-related research have successively discovered a large number of telomere and telomerase sequences in a variety of different parasites. These achievements have greatly facilitated the scientific research of diseases caused by parasitic infections, providing a solid research basis for the preparation of new drugs, while enriching the treatment protocols of parasitic diseases, and opening new worlds for the prevention of certain diseases and epidemic transmission. This paper reviews the current research progress of telomerase.