. 1994 Mar 1;91(5):1955–1958. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.5.1955
Lack of telomere shortening during senescence inParamecium.
D Gilley1,E H Blackburn1
D Gilley
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Find articles byD Gilley
E H Blackburn
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Find articles byE H Blackburn
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
PMCID: PMC43283 PMID:8127914
Abstract
Paramecium tetraurelia cells have a limited clonallife span and die after approximately 200 fissions if they do not undergo theprocess of autogamy or conjugation. To test the possibility that cellularsenescence of this species is caused by telomere shortening, we analyzed thegenomic DNA of the macronucleus during the clonal life span of P. tetraurelia.We found that telomeric DNA sequences were not shortened during the interval ofdecreased fission rate and cellular death, defined as senescence in these cells.However, the mean size of the macronuclear DNA was markedly decreased during theclonal life span. We present a model that expands upon previous proposals thataccumulated DNA damage causes cellular senescence in P.tetraurelia.
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