Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) mediates 3' end maturation of the telomerase RNA component

Mutations in the poly(A) ribonuclease (PARN) gene cause telomere diseases including familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and dyskeratosis congenita (DC)1,2, but how PARN deficiency impacts telomere maintenance is unclear. Here, using somatic cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from DC patients with PARN mutations, we show that PARN is required for the 3′ end maturation of the telomerase RNA component (TERC). Patient cells as well as immortalized cells in which PARN is disrupted show decreased levels of TERC. Deep sequencing of TERC RNA 3′ termini reveals that PARN is required for removal of posttranscriptionally acquired oligo(A) tails that target nuclear RNAs for degradation. Diminished TERC levels and the increased oligo(A) forms of TERC are normalized by restoring PARN, which is limiting for TERC maturation in cells. Our results reveal a novel role for PARN in the biogenesis of TERC, and provide a mechanism linking PARN mutations to telomere diseases. mRNA sequencing of fibroblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells, and 293 cell line.