1. RNA Polymerase Collision versus DNA Structural Distortion: Twists and Turns Can Cause Break Failure
- Author
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Pannunzio, Nicholas R and Lieber, Michael R
- Subjects
Biological Sciences ,Genetics ,Human Genome ,1.1 Normal biological development and functioning ,Underpinning research ,Animals ,Cell Transformation ,Neoplastic ,Chromosomal Instability ,DNA ,DNA Damage ,DNA ,Bacterial ,DNA ,Fungal ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Humans ,Models ,Genetic ,Neoplasms ,Nucleic Acid Conformation ,Transcription ,Genetic ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Developmental Biology ,Biological sciences ,Biomedical and clinical sciences ,Health sciences - Abstract
The twisting of DNA due to the movement of RNA polymerases is the basis of numerous classic experiments in molecular biology. Recent mouse genetic models indicate that chromosomal breakage is common at sites of transcriptional turbulence. Two key studies on this point mapped breakpoints to sites of either convergent or divergent transcription but arrived at different conclusions as to which is more detrimental and why. The issue hinges on whether DNA strand separation is the basis for the chromosomal instability or collision of RNA polymerases.
- Published
- 2016