Expression of Mutant RPA in Human Cancer Cells Causes Telomere Shortening

Replication protein A (RIPA) binds to single-stranded DNA generated during DNA replication and other processes. The roles of RPA in telomere maintenance have been demonstrated in yeasts, but not in telomerase-positive human cells. In this study, we found that expression of mutant RPA70 in human cells caused telomere shortening, suggesting that RPA is required for telomere-length regulation in human cancer cells.