The Yin and Yang of R-loop biology.
RNA performs diverse functions in cells, directing translation, modulating transcription and catalyzing enzymatic reactions. Remarkably RNA can also anneal to its genomic template co- or post-transcriptionally to generate an RNA-DNA hybrid and a displaced single-stranded DNA. These unusual nucleic acid structures are called R-loops. Studies in the last decades concentrated on the detrimental effects of R-loop formation, particularly on genome stability. In fact, R-loops are thought to play a role in several human diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative syndromes. But recent data has revealed that R-loops can also have a positive impact on cell processes, like regulating gene expression, chromosome structure and DNA repair. Here we summarize our current understanding of the formation and dissolution of R-loops, and discuss their negative and positive impact on genome structure and function.
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
Lorenzo
L
Costantino
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States. Electronic address: koshland@berkeley.edu.
Douglas
D
Koshland
D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D004260:DNA Repair; D016678:Genome; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA