title: Breaking bad: R-loops and genome integrity.
abstract: R-loops, nucleic acid structures consisting of an RNA-DNA hybrid and displaced single-stranded (ss) DNA, are ubiquitous in organisms from bacteria to mammals. First described in bacteria where they initiate DNA replication, it now appears that R-loops regulate diverse cellular processes such as gene expression, immunoglobulin (Ig) class switching, and DNA repair. Changes in R-loop regulation induce DNA damage and genome instability, and recently it was shown that R-loops are associated with neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss recent developments in the field; in particular, the regulation and effects of R-loops in cells, their effect on genomic and epigenomic stability, and their potential contribution to the origin of diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sollier
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: cimprich@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Karlene A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cimprich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded
keywords: R-loop; epigenomic stability; gene expression; genomic instability