DKC1 and dyskeratosis congenita: Mutations in the Dkc1, Nhp2, and Nop10 genes have been linked to dyskeratosis congenita (DC), a rare but fatal human genetic disorder that impairs stem cell function and proliferation generally attributed to defects in telomerase or ribosome biogenesis (Mitchell et al., 1999; Mason and Bessler, 2011).