Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40645989›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

TRF1 relies on fork reversal to prevent fragility at human telomeres.

Mélina Vaurs, Eloïse Claude, Elia Zanella, Joana Rodrigues, Joe Nassour, Jan Karlseder, Claus M Azzalin, Ylli Doksani, Anabelle Decottignies

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Cancer-associated TRF1 mutations alter PARP1 interaction dynamics: an in silico study.Mammalian genome : official journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Mélina Vaurs *Genetic & Epigenetic Alterations of Genomes Unit, de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2164-4625
Eloïse Claude *Genetic & Epigenetic Alterations of Genomes Unit, de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Elia ZanellaIFOM ETS - The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7681-1112
Joana RodriguesGIMM - Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal.
Joe NassourSalk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jan KarlsederSalk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7433-9750
Claus M AzzalinGIMM - Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal.
Ylli DoksaniIFOM ETS - The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2392-5722
Anabelle DecottigniesGenetic & Epigenetic Alterations of Genomes Unit, de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium. anabelle.decottignies@uclouvain.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7893-2527

Funding

Viral Vector Core (VVC)P30CA014195 · NCI · SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · PI Alan Saghatelian · 1985 to 2026
$82.8M
Understanding the role of autophagy-regulated cell death in the escape from replicative crisisR01CA234047 · NCI · SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · PI KARLSEDER, JAN, SHAW, REUBEN · 2020 to 2024
$3.1M
Spontaneous replication fork collapse regulates telomere length homeostasis in wild type yeastR01GM142173 · NIGMS · SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · PI KARLSEDER, JAN · 2021 to 2024
$1.5M
Associazione Angela Serra per la Ricerca sul Cancro (Associazione Angela Serra) AIRC IG 28954NCI NIH HHS P30 CA014195NCI NIH HHS R01 CA234047NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM142173U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) AG0773424, CA234047, P30CA014195 and GM142173U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | NCI | Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics) K99-R00CA252447Worldwide Cancer Research WWCR 24-0166
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Telomeres pose challenges during replication, with converging forks unlikely to resolve issues. Depleting TRF1 results in fragile telomeres, yet its exact role in telomere replication remains unclear. In our cellular model, insufficient TRF1 density at long telomeres leads to telomere fragility that is alleviated by restoring telomeric TRF1 levels. Our findings indicate that TRF1 mitigates lagging strand telomere fragility through fork reversal in a process involving telomerase activity, rather than merely alleviating fork barriers. Additionally, TFIIH, a crucial partner of TRF1, aids in restarting replication on the leading strand after fork reversal. When fork reversal is compromised, PrimPol-mediated repriming rescues fragility at leading strand telomeres, revealing a new role for this enzyme in human telomere replication. Lastly, our findings indicate that the TRF1-mediated decrease in telomere fragility is dependent on RNA:DNA hybrids, likely facilitating fork restart.

Indexed as

DNA ReplicationTelomereTelomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1DNA PrimaseHumansTelomeraseDNA PrimaseTelomeraseTelomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1

Identifiers

PMID40645989
PMCPMC12254382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.