Yeast Telomerase RNA Flexibly Scaffolds Protein Subunits: Results and Repercussions

It is said that “hindsight is 20-20,” so, given the current year, it is an opportune time to review and learn from experiences studying long noncoding RNAs. Investigation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA, TLC1, has unveiled striking flexibility in terms of both structural and functional features. Results support the “flexible scaffold” hypothesis for this 1157-nt telomerase RNA. This model describes TLC1 acting as a tether for holoenzyme protein subunits, and it also may apply to a plethora of RNAs beyond telomerase, such as types of lncRNAs. In this short perspective review, I summarize findings from studying the large yeast telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in the hope that this hindsight will sharpen foresight as so many of us seek to mechanistically understand noncoding RNA molecules from vast transcriptomes.