Borealin Associates with Telomerase and Regulates Telomerase Activity

Telomerase, which is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme consisting of telomerase reverse transcriptase(TERT) and an associated RNA component(TERC) is essential for telomeres maintenance.  Although many studies have shown that telomerase is tightly regulated, the regulatory pathways involved in telomerase activity are not fully understood. Here, we identify Borealin as a novel TERT interacting partner. Borealin is a member of chromosomal passenger complex which is important for chromosome alignment, segregation and spindle assembly. We show that borealin associates with active telomerase in vivo. Depletion of borealin by RNA interference reduced telomerase activity and arrested cell growth in telomerase positive cells. These results suggest that borealin interacts with active telomerase and plays an important role in telomerase activity, cell growth and viability. Our findings suggest that borealin represents as a new target for regulating telomerase activity in cancers.