title: Transcription-coupled repair: an update.
abstract: Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a versatile pathway that removes helix-distorting DNA lesions from the genomes of organisms across the evolutionary scale, from bacteria to humans. The serial steps in NER involve recognition of lesions, adducts or structures that disrupt the DNA double helix, removal of a short oligonucleotide containing the offending lesion, synthesis of a repair patch copying the opposite undamaged strand, and ligation, to restore the DNA to its original form. Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a subpathway of NER dedicated to the repair of lesions that, by virtue of their location on the transcribed strands of active genes, encumber elongation by RNA polymerases. In this review, I report on recent findings that contribute to the elucidation of TCR mechanisms in the bacterium Escherichia coli, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human cells. I review general models for the biochemical pathways and how and when cells might choose to utilize TCR or other pathways for repair or bypass of transcription-blocking DNA alterations.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Stanford University, 385 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305-5020, USA. gspivak@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6093-5965
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spivak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens
keywords: DNA damage; DNA repair; Nucleotide excision repair; Transcription-coupled repair