A protein traditionally associated with protecting chromosome ends also plays an unexpected role in helping muscle stem cells remain functional and rebuild injured tissue, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery could guide future research into muscular dystrophy treatments while also offering broader clues about cancer biology.
The study, published in Science Advances, found that TRF2 does much more than shield chromosomes. Within muscle stem cells, it helps preserve the genetic instructions that define the cells and allow them to regenerate muscle after damage.
"For years, TRF2 has been viewed as a protein whose primary job is protecting the ends of chromosomes from damage or corruption," said senior author Foteini Mourkioti, PhD, an associate professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn Medicine. "But rather than simply protecting DNA, TRF2 seems to be key to regenerating muscle throughout life."
TRF2 Has an Unexpected Role in Muscle Repair
Scientists have long known that TRF2 mainly operates at telomeres, the protective DNA caps located at the tips of chromosomes. Telomeres help keep chromosomes from deteriorating or being incorrectly identified by cells as broken pieces of DNA.
