9SWO

The catalytic core of yeast telomerase holoenzyme

Summary for 9SWO

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb9swo/pdb
• EMDB information: 55322
• Descriptor: TLC1 RNA, Telomerase reverse transcriptase, MAGNESIUM ION, ... (4 entities in total)
• Functional Keywords: telomerase, telomerase rna, rna binding protein
• Biological source: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast); More
• Total number of polymer chains: 2
• Total formula weight: 473104.21

Authors

Hu, H.,Franco-Echevarria, E.,Nguyen, T.H.D. (deposition date: 2025-10-07, release date: 2026-04-08)

Primary citation

Hu, H.,Neumann, H.,Teplitz, G.M.,Franco-Echevarria, E.,Chartrand, P.,Wellinger, R.J.,Nguyen, T.H.D.
Cryo-electron microscopy structure of the budding yeast telomerase holoenzyme.
Science, 391:eadz5344-eadz5344, 2026

PubMed Abstract: Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that synthesizes telomeric repeats at chromosome ends, safeguarding genome integrity. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the budding yeast telomerase, which exhibits substantial divergence from its ciliate and vertebrate counterparts. The structure reveals a stable core formed by telomerase RNA TLC1; the three ever shorter telomere (Est) proteins, Est1, Est2 and Est3; and the Pop1/Pop6/Pop7 complex (Pop1/6/7). TLC1, Est3, and Pop1/6/7 serve critical roles in complex assembly. We identified a zinc finger (ZnF) motif in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunit Est2 that is crucial for telomerase function. Structure prediction suggests the presence of ZnFs in TERT from diverse species. These findings offer insights into the functional organization of yeast telomerase and underscore the evolutionary diversity of telomerase holoenzymes.

PubMed: 41886584
DOI: 10.1126/science.adz5344

Experimental method

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (3.7 Å)