Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase specialized in telomere synthesis. The enzyme is
primarily nuclear where it elongates telomeres but recent reports have shown that it also
localizes to mitochondria. The function of TERT in mitochondria is largely unknown but the
available findings point to a role in mitochondrial DNA metabolism. This paper discusses the
available data on mitochondrial telomerase with particular emphasis on its effects upon the
organellar DNA.