Trait
Short telomere length
An abnormal reduction in telomere length. Telomeres are non-coding, repetitive sequences of DNA at the ends of the chromosomes of eukaryotic cells which become shorter as cells divide, and when telomere attrition reaches its limit, cell proliferation arrest, senescence, and apoptosis can occur.
Summary
- Body system
- Abnormal cellular phenotype
Reference genomeGRCh38hg38
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Get my Genome Test14 genes linked to Short telomere length
Changes in these genes cause rare conditions in which Short telomere length is seen. Most people with this trait have none of those conditions, and a gene on this list says nothing about anyone's own genome.
| Gene | How often it is seen | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| ACDACD shelterin complex subunit and telomerase recruitment factor | Always | In 1 condition |
| NHEJ1non-homologous end joining factor 1 | Always | In 1 condition |
| NOP10NOP10 ribonucleoprotein | Always | In 1 condition |
| PARNpoly(A)-specific ribonuclease | Always | In 2 conditions |
| POT1protection of telomeres 1 | Always | In 1 condition |
| RPA1replication protein A1 | Always | In 1 condition |
| TERTtelomerase reverse transcriptase | Always | In 1 condition |
| TINF2TERF1 interacting nuclear factor 2 | Always | In 2 conditions |
| TP53tumor protein p53 | Always | In 1 condition |
| WRAP53WD repeat containing antisense to TP53 | Always | In 1 condition |
| TYMSthymidylate synthetase | Often (30–79%) | In 1 condition |
| MDM4MDM4 regulator of p53 | Not recorded | In 1 condition |
| RTEL1regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 | Not recorded | In 1 condition |
| ZCCHC8zinc finger CCHC-type containing 8 | Not recorded | In 1 condition |
How often is among people with one of the gene's conditions, the most often across them, as the Human Phenotype Ontology records it. These pages describe traits and the research behind them; they are not a diagnosis, and a doctor or genetic counsellor is the person to ask about symptoms.
Broader traits
Where this comes from
- The Human Phenotype Ontology, release 2026-09-01: the trait, its names, its definition and the genes linked to it. Find out more at hpo.jax.org.
- Data release 2026.10.16-c6eea6bf.
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