Expression of TRF2 and GAPDH in the aging of the in vitro ovarian surface epithelial cells

GAPDH can bind single-strand telomere DNA both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, it was hypothesised that GAPDH has an important role in protecting the telomeres, role that could be shared with TRF2, a well-known telomeric protein involved in a myriad of functions related to telomere homeostasis. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between the expression of these genes in the in vitro ovarian surface epithelium. Materials and methods: The relative expression of each gene was established by qRT-PCR in primary cell cultures of the ovarian surface epithelium from 22 healthy mestizo Colombian donors. Results: The Kendall and Spearman non-parametric tests established a significant correlation between the levels of expression in subsequent passages of the cell line, in an age-independent way. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a synergistic effect between TRF2 and GAPDH that could counter telomere shortening in vitro.