# ESCO2 Interacts with TRF1/2 and Facilitates Telomere Maintenance

## TL;DR

ESCO2 helps maintain telomere stability by interacting with TRF1/2 and other DNA repair proteins.

## Contribution

ESCO2 is newly identified as a key player in telomere maintenance through interactions with TRF1/2 and DNA repair factors.

## Key findings

- ESCO2 binds to TRF1 and TRF2, contributing to telomere maintenance.
- Loss of ESCO2 causes telomere DNA damage and shortening.
- ESCO2 works with BLM to stabilize telomeres.

## Abstract

Establishment of sister chromatid cohesion N-acetyltransferase 2 (ESCO2) is an acetyltransferase involved in sister chromatid cohesion. Here we demonstrated that ESCO2 has a new role in telomere maintenance through its binding with telomeric repeat-binding factor TRF1 and TRF2. Loss of ESCO2 induces aberrant DNA damage at telomeres and leads to dramatic telomere shortening. ESCO2 associates with several proteins involved in DNA replication and repair, including BLM, WRN, TopBP1, BRIP1, BRCA1, and MUS81. Moreover, we show that ESCO2 acts in epistasis with BLM in promoting telomere stability. Taken together, our data suggest that ESCO2 is required for the maintenance of telomere stability, presumably by coordinating multiple replication and repair factors to facilitate telomere replication and protection.