The Regulation of R-Loop Formation and Its Biological Implications
LI Yi, SHI Lei*
R-loop is a three-stranded nucleic acid structure consisting of a DNA:RNA hybrid and a displaced single-stranded DNA. It is generally formed during transcription, and plays vital roles in regulating gene expression, DNA replication, DNA damage response, and genome stability. Although R-loop has been implicated in many biological processes, aberrant accumulation of R-loop is one of the major sources of replication stress that threatens genome integrity. Recent evidence suggests that R-loop is involved in many human diseases, including neurological disorders, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Given the importance of R-loop in physiological and pathological processes, this review summarizes the mechanism of R-loop formation and its biological functions, and also discusses the relationship between R-loop dysregulation and human diseases.
CN
EN