Human telomerase requires TCAB1 for catalytic function and for shaping RNA component conformation

Ribonucleoprotein enzymes require specific and dynamic conformations of their RNA constituents for regulated catalysis. Telomerase RNA components (TRs) rely on two conserved domains, a pseudoknot/template sequence and a three-way junction (CR4/5), each of which binds the telomerase reverse transcriptase protein (TERT). Vertebrate TRs evolved a third element, the H/ACA domain, involved in assembly and trafficking of telomerase through binding telomerase cofactors, dyskerin and TCAB1, respectively. Here, we show that telomerase unexpectedly requires TCAB1 for enzyme catalysis and for shaping the conformation of the TR CR4/5 domain. Human and mouse cells lacking TCAB1 exhibit a marked reduction in telomerase activity, but show no defect in enzyme assembly. Instead, loss of TCAB1 causes specific unfolding of critical RNA helices in TR CR4/5 required for catalysis, and impairs TR-TERT association. CR4/5 mutations derived from patients with the telomere disorder dyskeratosis congenita phenocopy the loss of enzyme activity and disruption of TERT binding observed with TCAB1 deletion. These findings show that the H/ACA element acquired by telomerase during vertebrate evolution serves an unanticipated role in controlling folding of the essential TR CR4/5 domain, facilitating optimal TERT engagement and enabling telomerase catalysis through the action of TCAB1 protein tethered at the H/ACA domain. SHAPE profiles for hsTR isolated from telomerase ribonucleoprotein RNP complexes from Wild Type, TCAB1-KO, TCAB1-KO genetic rescue, TCAB1-KO with TCAB protein added in vitro and Coilin KO cells.