Human protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) is a negative regulator of telomerase activity in vitro.

The telomeric single-strand DNA binding protein protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) protects telomeres from rapid degradation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and has been implicated in positive and negative telomere length regulation in humans. Human POT1 appears to interact with telomeres both through direct binding to the 3' overhanging G-strand DNA and through interaction with the TRF1 duplex telomere DNA binding complex. The influence of POT1 on telomerase activity has not been studied at the molecular level. We show here that POT1 negatively effects telomerase activity in vitro. We find that the DNA binding activity of POT1 is required for telomerase inhibition. Furthermore, POT1 is incapable of inhibiting telomeric repeat addition to substrate primers that are defective for POT1 binding, suggesting that in vivo, POT1 likely affects substrate access to telomerase.

Telomerase: biochemical considerations for enzyme and substrate.

Telomerase extends chromosome ends by iterative reverse transcription of its RNA template. Following the addition of each telomeric repeat, the RNA template and the telomeric substrate reset their relative position in the active site provided by the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). This step might require the formation of guanine-rich secondary structures in the nascent product. Results from numerous studies begin to delineate TERT sub-domains that orchestrate these events and support the model of cooperative action between distinct active sites within telomerase multimers. Natural telomere substrates are protein-DNA complexes that show an asymmetry between the two ends of a chromosome, possibly reflecting their differential mode of replication.