The terminal t-loop structure adopted by mammalian telomeres is thought to prevent telomeres from being recognized as double-stranded DNA breaks by sequestering the 3' single-stranded G-rich overhang from exposure to the DNA damage machinery. The POT1 (protection of telomeres) protein binds the single-stranded overhang and is required for both chromosomal end protection and telomere length regulation. The mouse genome contains two POT1 orthologs, Pot1a and Pot1b. Here we show that conditional deletion of Pot1a elicits a DNA damage response at telomeres, resulting in p53-dependent replicative senescence. Pot1a-deficient cells exhibit overall telomere length and 3' overhang elongation as well as aberrant homologous recombination (HR) at telomeres, manifested as increased telomere sister chromatid exchanges and formation of telomere circles. Telomeric HR following Pot1a loss requires NBS1. Pot1a deletion also results in chromosomal instability. Our results suggest that POT1a is crucial for the maintenance of both telomere integrity and overall genomic stability.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) receptor signaling can simultaneously activate caspase 8, the transcription factor, NF-kappaB and the kinase, JNK. While activation of caspase 8 is required for TNFalpha-induced apoptosis, and induction of NF-kappaB inhibits cell death, the precise function of JNK activation in TNFalpha signaling is not clearly understood. Here, we report that TNFalpha-mediated caspase 8 cleavage and apoptosis require a sequential pathway involving JNK, Bid, and Smac/DIABLO. Activation of JNK induces caspase 8-independent cleavage of Bid at a distinct site to generate the Bid cleavage product jBid. Translocation of jBid to mitochondria leads to preferential release of Smac/DIABLO, but not cytochrome c. The released Smac/DIABLO then disrupts the TRAF2-cIAP1 complex. We propose that the JNK pathway described here is required to relieve the inhibition imposed by TRAF2-cIAP1 on caspase 8 activation and induction of apoptosis. Further, our findings define a mechanism for crosstalk between intrinsic and extrinsic cell death pathways.

Recent reports suggest that a cross-talk exists between apoptosis pathways mediated by mitochondria and cell death receptors. In the present study, we report that mitochondrial events are required for apoptosis induced by the cell death ligand TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) in human cancer cells. We show that the Bax null cancer cells are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Bax deficiency has no effect on TRAIL-induced caspase-8 activation and subsequent cleavage of Bid; however, it results in an incomplete caspase-3 processing because of inhibition by XIAP. Release of Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria through the TRAIL-caspase-8-tBid-Bax cascade is required to remove the inhibitory effect of XIAP and allow apoptosis to proceed. Inhibition of caspase-9 activity has no effect on TRAIL-induced caspase-3 activation and cell death, whereas expression of the active form of Smac/DIABLO in the cytosol is sufficient to reconstitute TRAIL sensitivity in Bax-deficient cells. Our results show for the first time that Bax-dependent release of Smac/DIABLO, not cytochrome c, from mitochondria mediates the contribution of the mitochondrial pathway to death receptor-mediated apoptosis.

Summary The Mre11/Rad50/NBS1 complex (MRN) maintains genomic stability by bridging DNA ends and initiating DNA damage signaling through activation of the ATM kinase. Mre11 possesses DNA nuclease activities that are highly conserved in evolution, but play unknown roles in mammals. To define functions of Mre11 we engineered targeted mouse alleles which either abrogate nuclease activities or inactivate the entire MRN complex. Mre11 nuclease deficiency causes a striking array of phenotypes indistinguishable from absence of MRN, including early embryonic lethality and dramatic genomic instability. We identify a crucial role for the nuclease activities in homology directed double strand break repair, and a contributing role in activating the ATR kinase. However, nuclease activities are not required to activate ATM after DNA damage or telomere deprotection. Therefore, nucleolytic processing by Mre11 is an essential function of fundamental importance in DNA repair distinct from MRN control of ATM signaling.

Long lived organisms such as humans have evolved several intrinsic tumor suppressor mechanisms to combat the slew of oncogenic somatic mutations that constantly arise in proliferating stem cell compartments. One of these anti-cancer barriers is the telomere, a specialized nucleoprotein that caps the ends of eukaryotic chromosome. Impaired telomere function activates the canonical DNA damage response pathway that engages p53 to initiate apoptosis or replicative senescence. Here, we discuss how p53-dependent senescence induced by dysfunctional telomeres may be as potent as apoptosis in suppressing tumorigenesis in vivo.More than 40 years ago, Hayflick and Moorhead discovered that normal human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) cannot grow indefinitely in culture 1 . Rather, their proliferative capacities are intrinsically limited. After 60-80 population doublings in culture, HDFs stop dividing and adopt a phenotype characterized by large, flat cell size, a vacuolated morphology, inability to synthesize DNA, and the presence of the senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) marker 2 . We now know that the endpoint of this proliferative limit, termed replicative senescence, is due largely to erosion of telomeres, protective structures that cap the end of all eukaryotic chromosomes. Confirmation of this came from studies in which telomerase, the enzyme that maintains telomeres, was ectopically expressed in normal human somatic cells 3,4 . Activation of telomerase results in telomere elongation, abrogation of replicative senescence, a normal karyotype and cellular immortalization. These results clearly demonstrate that telomere length determines the proliferative lifespan of HDFs, and that upregulation of telomerase activity (hence telomere length) restores proliferative capacity.A large body of experimental evidence has demonstrated that telomere attrition contributes to tumorigenesis by promoting genome instability 5 . However, in the setting of a competent p53 pathway, mouse models have recently shown that telomere shortening is also tumor suppressive by promoting replicative senescence to inhibit tumor formation. In this Perspective, we will discuss how telomeres shorten with cell replication and how this might initiate a DNA damage response to induce replicative senescence (and cell death) and ultimately prevent tumorigenesis.