Telomeres: an organized string linking plants and mammals.

Edison Di Pietro, Romina Burla, Mattia La Torre, Mary-Paz González-García, Raffaele Dello Ioio, Isabella Saggio

Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy.Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Telomeres are pivotal determinants of cell stemness, organismal aging, and lifespan. Herein, we examined similarities in telomeres of Arabidopsis thaliana, mice, and humans. We report the common traits, which include their composition in multimers of TTAGGG sequences and their protection by specialized proteins. Moreover, given the link between telomeres, on the one hand, and cell proliferation and stemness on the other, we discuss the counterintuitive convergence between plants and mammals in this regard, focusing on the impact of niches on cell stemness. Finally, we suggest that tackling the study of telomere function and cell stemness by taking into consideration both plants and mammals can aid in the understanding of interconnections and contribute to research focusing on aging and organismal lifespan determinants.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

The paper discusses telomeres and their role in cell stemness, organismal aging, and lifespan, which are directly related to longevity research. It highlights the similarities between plant and mammalian telomeres, suggesting a broader understanding of aging mechanisms. However, while the findings are solid and contribute to the field, they do not present groundbreaking insights or novel approaches that would significantly advance longevity research, thus warranting a moderate impact score.

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