The Telomerase Database

Abstract

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that extends DNA at the chromosome ends in most eukaryotes. Since 1985, telomerase has been studied intensively and components of the telomerase complex have been identified from over 160 eukaryotic species. In the last two decades, there has been a growing interest in studying telomerase owing to its vital role in chromosome stability and cellular immortality. To keep up with the remarkable explosion of knowledge about telomerase, we compiled information related to telomerase in an exhaustive database called the Telomerase Database (http://telomerase.asu.edu/). The Telomerase Database provides comprehensive information about (i) sequences of the RNA and protein subunits of telomerase, (ii) sequence alignments based on the phylogenetic relationship and structure, (iii) secondary structures of the RNA component and tertiary structures of various subunits of telomerase, (iv) mutations of telomerase components found in human patients and (v) active researchers who contributed to the wealth of current knowledge on telomerase. The information is hierarchically organized by the components, i.e. the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), telomerase RNA (TR) and other telomerase-associated proteins. The Telomerase Database is a useful resource especially for researchers who are interested in investigating the structure, function, evolution and medical relevance of the telomerase enzyme.