Exploring Genetic Interactions with Telomere Protection Gene  pot1  in Fission Yeast.
The regulation of telomere length has a significant impact on cancer risk and aging in humans. Circular chromosomes are found in humans and are often unstable during mitosis, resulting in genome instability. Some types of cancer have a high frequency of a circular chromosome. Fission yeast is a good model for studying the formation and stability of circular chromosomes as deletion of  pot1  (encoding a telomere protection protein) results in rapid telomere degradation and chromosome fusion. Pot1 binds to single-stranded telomere DNA and is conserved from fission yeast to humans. Loss of  pot1  leads to viable strains in which all three fission yeast chromosomes become circular. In this review, I will introduce  pot1  genetic interactions as these inform on processes such as the degradation of uncapped telomeres, chromosome fusion, and maintenance of circular chromosomes. Therefore, exploring genes that genetically interact with  pot1  contributes to finding new genes and/or new functions of genes related to the maintenance of telomeres and/or circular chromosomes.
Ueno M