RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Intercellular telomere transfer extends T cell lifespan
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.10.09.331918
DO 10.1101/2020.10.09.331918
A1 Vaz, Bruno
A1 Vuotto, Claudia
A1 Valvo, Salvatore
A1 D’Ambra, Clara
A1 Esposito, Francesco Maria
A1 Chiurchiù, Valerio
A1 Devine, Oliver
A1 Sanchez, Massimo
A1 Borsellino, Giovanna
A1 Gilroy, Derek
A1 Akbar, Arne N.
A1 Dustin, Michael L.
A1 Karin, Michael
A1 Lanna, Alessio
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/10/09/2020.10.09.331918.abstract
AB The common view is that T-lymphocytes activate telomerase, a DNA polymerase that extends telomeres at chromosome ends, to delay senescence. We show that independently of telomerase, T cells elongate telomeres by acquiring telomere vesicles from antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Upon contact with T cells, APCs degraded shelterin to donate telomeres, which were cleaved by TZAP, and then transferred in extracellular vesicles (EVs) at the immunological synapse. Telomere vesicles retained the Rad51 recombination factor that enabled them to fuse with T cell chromosomal ends causing an average lengthening of ∼3000 base pairs. Thus, we identify a previously unknown telomere transfer program that supports T cell lifespan.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.