New mechanism for maintaining genome stability discovered

Jan 14, 2025

Genetically speaking, it's a bacterium's worst-case scenario: During transcription, newly minted RNA sticks to its DNA template, forming a 3-stranded structure known as an R-loop. While these structures have some important roles to play in a cell, R-loops in the wrong place at the wrong time can be disastrous, leading to DNA breaks, mutations, and cell death.