Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2023 Mar;30(3):348-359. doi: 10.1038/s41594-023-00928-6. Epub 2023 Mar 2.
Transcription-replication collisions (TRCs) are crucial determinants of genome instability. R-loops were linked to head-on TRCs and proposed to obstruct replication fork progression. The underlying mechanisms, however, remained elusive due to the lack of direct visualization and of non-ambiguous research tools. Here, we ascertained the stability of estrogen-induced R-loops on the human genome, visualized them directly by electron microscopy (EM), and measured R-loop frequency and size at the single-molecule level. Combining EM and immuno-labeling on locus-specific head-on TRCs in bacteria, we observed the frequent accumulation of DNA:RNA hybrids behind replication forks. These post-replicative structures are linked to fork slowing and reversal across conflict regions and are distinct from physiological DNA:RNA hybrids at Okazaki fragments. Comet assays on nascent DNA revealed a marked delay in nascent DNA maturation in multiple conditions previously linked to R-loop accumulation. Altogether, our findings suggest that TRC-associated replication interference entails transactions that follow initial R-loop bypass by the replication fork.
转录-复制碰撞(TRCs)是基因组不稳定性的关键决定因素。R 环与正面 TRCs 有关,并被提议阻碍复制叉的推进。然而,由于缺乏直接可视化和非模糊研究工具,其潜在机制仍然难以捉摸。在这里,我们确定了雌激素诱导的 R 环在人类基因组上的稳定性,通过电子显微镜(EM)直接对其进行可视化,并在单分子水平上测量 R 环的频率和大小。通过 EM 和细菌中特定基因座的正面 TRC 上的免疫标记相结合,我们观察到复制叉后面经常积累 DNA:RNA 杂交体。这些复制后结构与冲突区域的叉减速和反转有关,与冈崎片段上的生理 DNA:RNA 杂交体不同。对新生 DNA 的彗星分析表明,在以前与 R 环积累相关的多种条件下,新生 DNA 成熟明显延迟。总的来说,我们的发现表明,与 TRC 相关的复制干扰需要复制叉初始绕过 R 环后进行的交易。