RECQ-like helicases Sgs1 and BLM regulate R-loop-associated genome instability.

ABSTRACT: Sgs1, the orthologue of human Bloom's syndrome helicase BLM, is a yeast DNA helicase functioning in DNA replication and repair. We show that SGS1 loss increases R-loop accumulation and sensitizes cells to transcription-replication collisions. Yeast lacking SGS1 accumulate R-loops and ?-H2A at sites of Sgs1 binding, replication pausing regions, and long genes. The mutation signature of sgs1? reveals copy number changes flanked by repetitive regions with high R-loop-forming potential. Analysis of BLM in Bloom's syndrome fibroblasts or by depletion of BLM from human cancer cells confirms a role for Sgs1/BLM in suppressing R-loop-associated genome instability across species. In support of a potential direct effect, BLM is found physically proximal to DNA:RNA hybrids in human cells, and can efficiently unwind R-loops in vitro. Together, our data describe a conserved role for Sgs1/BLM in R-loop suppression and support an increasingly broad view of DNA repair and replication fork stabilizing proteins as modulators of R-loop-mediated genome instability.

SUBMITTER: Chang EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5716281 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature