Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme essential for the replication of chromosome termini in many eukaryotes. Inactive, or very low activity, in normal somatic cells.

Catalytic component of the teleromerase holoenzyme complex whose primary activity is the elongation of telomeres by acting as a reverse transcriptase that adds simple sequence repeats to chromosome ends by copying a template sequence within the RNA component of the enzyme. Catalyzes the RNA- dependent extension of 3'-chromosomal termini using the 6- nucleotide telomeric repeat unit, 5'-TTAGGG-3'.