In most eukaryotes, telomeres consist of tandem arrays of a short repetitive DNA sequence. Insect telomeres are generally constituted by a (TTAGG)n repeat motif. Usually, telomeres are maintained by telomerase, a specialized reverse transcriptase that adds this sequence to chromosome ends. We examined telomerase activity in 15 species across Insecta. Telomerase activity was revealed in Isoptera, Blattaria, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Sternorrhyncha. In contrast, we were not able to detect telomerase activity in Orthoptera, Zygentoma, and Phasmida. Because we found telomerase activity in phylogenetically distant species, we conclude that a distribution pattern of (TTAGG)n sequence in Insecta is generally consistent with that of telomerase activity. Thus, the TTAGG-telomerase system is functional across the Insecta. Using real-time quantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol (RTQ-TRAP) system, we quantified telomerase activity in different developmental stages and different tissues of a cockroach, Periplaneta americana. We show that telomerase is upregulated in young instars and gradually declines during development. In adults, it is most active in testes and ovaries. Thus, the telomerase activity of hemimetabolous insects seems to be associated with cell proliferation and organismal development.

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Bioessays. 2008 Jan;30(1):25-37 PubMed

Genetica. 2002 Jun;115(2):179-87 PubMed

Nucleic Acids Res. 1997 Aug 1;25(15):3051-8 PubMed

Nucleic Acids Res. 2003 Jan 15;31(2):E3-3 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Sep;85(18):6622-6 PubMed

Cytogenet Cell Genet. 2000;90(1-2):139-45 PubMed

Mol Biol Evol. 2001 May;18(5):848-57 PubMed

Mol Cell Biol. 1995 Aug;15(8):4545-52 PubMed

Chromosome Res. 2005;13(5):455-67 PubMed

Nucleic Acids Res. 2010 Sep;38(17):5609-22 PubMed

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2002 Sep;66(3):407-25, table of contents PubMed

Annu Rev Biochem. 1996;65:337-65 PubMed

Chromosome Res. 2005;13(2):145-56 PubMed

Cytogenet Genome Res. 2008;122(3-4):380-7 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Aug 20;93(17):8983-8 PubMed

Mol Cell Biol. 1997 Sep;17(9):5176-83 PubMed

Eur J Biochem. 2000 May;267(10):3025-31 PubMed

FEBS Lett. 1998 Nov 13;439(1-2):143-6 PubMed

Plant Cell. 1998 Oct;10(10):1691-8 PubMed

Dev Genet. 1996;18(2):173-9 PubMed

FEBS Lett. 2010 Sep 10;584(17):3741-51 PubMed

BMB Rep. 2014 Jan;47(1):8-14 PubMed

Chromosome Res. 2007;15(3):371-82 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Nov 25;100(24):14091-6 PubMed

Genome. 2004 Feb;47(1):163-78 PubMed

Chromosoma. 2011 Aug;120(4):367-76 PubMed

Oncogene. 2002 Jan 21;21(4):553-63 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995 May 23;92(11):4818-22 PubMed

Plant Mol Biol. 2006 Mar;60(5):633-46 PubMed

Cytogenet Genome Res. 2008;122(3-4):356-64 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Sep;86(18):7049-53 PubMed

Gene. 2006 Jul 19;376(2):281-9 PubMed

Chromosome Res. 1999;7(6):449-60 PubMed

Chromosoma. 2000 Sep;109(6):372-80 PubMed

Extended longevity of termite kings and queens is accompanied by extranuclear localization of telomerase in somatic organs and caste-specific expression of its isoforms

Telomerase RNA in Hymenoptera (Insecta) switched to plant/ciliate-like biogenesis

Telomeric DNA sequences in beetle taxa vary with species richness

Long-lived termite kings and queens activate telomerase in somatic organs

Seasonality in telomerase activity in relation to cell size, DNA replication, and nutrients in the fat body of Apis mellifera

Chromosomal distribution of interstitial telomeric sequences as signs of evolution through chromosome fusion in six species of the giant water bugs (Hemiptera, Belostoma)

Activity of telomerase and telomeric length in Apis mellifera