TERT

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Telomerase reverse transcriptase. (Discuss)

TERT is an acronym for TElomerase Reverse Transcriptase, a protein subgroup. Telomerases are RNA-dependent polymerases. However, despite their similarities to other RNA-dependent polymerases, telomerases are part of a distinct subgroup of proteins because they are so similar to each other even when they come from diverse organisms. To wit, telomerase lengthens telomeres in DNA strands, thereby allowing senescent cells that would otherwise become post-mitotic and commit apoptosis to exceed the Hayflick Limit and become potentially immortal, as is often the case with cancerous cells.