Telomere length inheritance (360G-Wellcome-211509_Z_18_Z)

We will establish what happens to telomere length in diploid cells that inherit abnormal length telomeres from one parent (equivalent to human beings inheriting abnormal telomere lengths from a mother or father). We will examine diploids created using haploid yeast strains containing null mutations causing long (L: rif1Delta or rif2Delta), short (S: yku70Delta or mre11Delta) or normal (N: no mutation) telomeres. We will passage the diploids cells for scores of generations to determine how telomere homeostasis is regulated in these cells. 9 types of diploids, derived from haploids with different length telomeres (NN, NS, NL, SN, SS, SL, LN, LS, LL), will be studied. Southern blots will be sued examine telomere length changes over 10 or more passages (each passage is approx. 30 cell divisions). The results will have implications for the inheritance of human telomere length syndromes.