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Background
TERT(Telomerase reverse transcriptase), is a catalytic subunit of the enzyme telomerase. Its absence (usually as a result of a chromosomal mutation) is associated with the disorder Cri du chat. The TERT gene was mapped to chromosome 5p15.33T by Meyerson, M. Elomerase lengthens telomeres in DNA strands, thereby allowing senescent cells that would otherwise become postmitotic and undergo apoptosis to exceed the Hayflick limit and become potentially immortal, as is often the case with cancerous cells. Telomerase expression plays a role in cellular senescence, as it is normally repressed in postnatal somatic cells, resulting in progressive shortening of telomeres. Deregulation of telomerase expression in somatic cells may be involved in oncogenesis. Studies in mice suggest that telomerase also participates in chromosomal repair, since de novo synthesis of telomere repeats may occur at double-stranded breaks.