Abstract: Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase which is responsible for maintaining integrity of telomere at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes. The current study about molecular assembly mechanism of human telomerase holoenzyme and its relationship between structure and function are seldom involved. The structural research of human telomerase RNA (hTR) is so far limited to its secondary structure. In this study, hTR CR4/5 domain was produced by in vitro transcription and purification, and its assembly information as well as conformation in solution was analyzed using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technology. The results could be valuable information for research of hTR CR4/5 domain and hTR three-dimensional structure, and promote cognition of the function that hTR in the process of telomerase reverse transcriptase.

Key words: telomerase, human telomerase RNA, CR4/5 domain, small angle X-ray scattering