Citation

  • Authors: Cohen S. et al.
  • Year: 2022
  • Journal: Nat Commun 13 2012
  • Applications: in vitro / DNA / jetPRIME
  • Cell type: U-2 OS
    Description: Human bone osteosarcoma
    Known as: U2OS

Method

1 × 106 U2OS Cells (ATCC) were seeded onto No. 1.5 Gridded glass bottomed 35 mm dishes (MatTek) and transfected with pcDNA3.1_GFP-BLM plasmid using JetPrime (Polyplus-transfection). Transfected cells were grown in 10% fetal bovine serum (Sigma-Aldrich) containing Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (Life Technologies) under standard conditions.

Abstract

Transcriptionally active loci are particularly prone to breakage and mounting evidence suggests that DNA Double-Strand Breaks arising in active genes are handled by a dedicated repair pathway, Transcription-Coupled DSB Repair (TC-DSBR), that entails R-loop accumulation and dissolution. Here, we uncover a function for the Bloom RecQ DNA helicase (BLM) in TC-DSBR in human cells. BLM is recruited in a transcription dependent-manner at DSBs where it fosters resection, RAD51 binding and accurate Homologous Recombination repair. However, in an R-loop dissolution-deficient background, we find that BLM promotes cell death. We report that upon excessive RNA:DNA hybrid accumulation, DNA synthesis is enhanced at DSBs, in a manner that depends on BLM and POLD3. Altogether our work unveils a role for BLM at DSBs in active chromatin, and highlights the toxic potential of RNA:DNA hybrids that accumulate at transcription-associated DSBs.

Go to