Pausing sites of RNA polymerase II on actively transcribed genes are enriched in DNA double-stranded breaks.

ABSTRACT: DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are strongly associated with active transcription, and promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is a critical step in transcriptional regulation. Mapping the distribution of DSBs along actively expressed genes and identifying the location of DSBs relative to pausing sites can provide mechanistic insights into transcriptional regulation. Using genome-wide DNA break mapping/sequencing techniques at single-nucleotide resolution in human cells, we found that DSBs are preferentially located around transcription start sites of highly transcribed and paused genes and that Pol II promoter-proximal pausing sites are enriched in DSBs. We observed that DSB frequency at pausing sites increases as the strength of pausing increases, regardless of whether

SUBMITTER: Singh S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7086017 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature