Telomere Length Distribution: Digital Image Processing and Statistical Analysis

Maintenance of telomere length is a crucial event for cells to survive and proliferate. Telomere length dynamics is an equilibrium between incomplete DNA replication and telomere elongation by telomerase or alternative pathways. Telomere length measurements are usually performed by Southern blotting after enzymatic digestion of genomic DNA, providing terminal restriction fragments. TTAGGG repeat binding factor (TRF) length distribution, thus observed, not only reflects the heterogeneity of telomere length of each chromosome end but also the heterogeneity of subtelomeric regions and the coexistence of different cell populations.