t-circle formation

Definition

Target type: biologicalprocess

A telomere maintenance process that results in the formation of a telomeric circle, or t-circle. A t-circle is an extrachromosomal duplex or single-stranded circular DNA molecule composed of t-arrays. T-circles are involved in the control of telomere length via alternative-lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway and telomere rapid deletion (TRD). [GOC:BHF, GOC:BHF_telomere, GOC:nc, PMID:19214183, PMID:19581589, PMID:19809492, PMID:19858100]

T-circle formation is a process that occurs during the integration of lentiviral vectors into the host cell genome. It begins with the reverse transcription of the viral RNA genome into double-stranded DNA, which then integrates into the host cell's DNA. During this process, the viral DNA can circularize to form a T-circle. T-circles are circular DNA molecules that contain the viral genome but lack the flanking long terminal repeats (LTRs) found in the linear form of the viral DNA. This process occurs in the nucleus of the cell and involves the integration of the viral genome into the host genome via the integrase enzyme. Integrase recognizes specific sequences on the viral DNA and cleaves the viral DNA, allowing it to integrate into the host genome. The integration process can occur at random locations within the host genome. The presence of T-circles can be detected by PCR methods that use primers specific to the viral genome, and the presence of T-circles is generally seen as a good indicator of successful gene delivery. However, T-circles are also known to be unstable and can be lost over time as they are not integrated into the host genome. The formation of T-circles is a complex process and can be influenced by factors such as the type of lentiviral vector used, the host cell type, and the presence of cellular proteins that interact with the viral genome. The formation of T-circles can be beneficial as it can allow for the integration of multiple copies of the viral genome into the host genome. However, the formation of T-circles can also be harmful as it can lead to the integration of the viral genome into important genes, causing cellular dysfunction or disease. Therefore, the formation of T-circles is a significant factor in the development of lentiviral vectors for gene therapy.'
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Proteins (3)

Compounds (4)