Figure 9 .

A schematic depiction of the additive contribution of the Tmp⁻ phenotype to the viability of strains bearing mutations in telomere-related proteins based on a decline in “telomere function” that occurs with increasing temperature. Since the molecular basis for the Tmp⁻ phenotype is unknown, telomere function is defined as “the collection of activities that maintain chromosome ends as fully replicated and capped telomeres.”