Davis, Justin AChakrabarti, Kausik2024-08-202024-08-202024-062311-553X2311-553Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/10161/31418Telomerase is an enzyme involved in the maintenance of telomeres. Telomere shortening due to the end-replication problem is a threat to the genome integrity of all eukaryotes. Telomerase inside cells depends on a myriad of protein-protein and RNA-protein interactions to properly assemble and regulate the function of the telomerase holoenzyme. These interactions are well studied in model eukaryotes, like humans, yeast, and the ciliated protozoan known as <i>Tetrahymena thermophila</i>. Emerging evidence also suggests that deep-branching eukaryotes, such as the parasitic protist <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i> require conserved and novel RNA-binding proteins for the assembly and function of their telomerase. In this review, we will discuss telomerase regulatory pathways in the context of telomerase-interacting proteins, with special attention paid to RNA-binding proteins. We will discuss these interactors on an evolutionary scale, from parasitic protists to humans, to provide a broader perspective on the extensive role that protein-protein and RNA-protein interactions play in regulating telomerase activity in eukaryotes.RNA chaperonesRNA-binding proteinsTrypanosoma bruceiinteractomesparasitestelomerasetelomerase RNAtelomerase reverse transcriptasetelomeresJournal article