Figure 5.

Schematic presentation of Treg-induced mechanism of hTERT pre-mRNA alternative splicing during suppression of target lymphocyte proliferation. Treg cells induce EndoG expression and translocation from mitochondria to nucleus in activated lymphocytes by a contact-independent mechanism. The factor that triggers this process is not yet determined. From its location in nucleus of target lymphocytes, EndoG induces β- splicing, resulting in inhibition of telomerase. Prolonged cocultivation with Tregs leads to telomere attrition, cell cycle arrest, conversion of the target cells to replicative senescence, and apoptotic death.