NCBR seminar: Marek Šebesta

Transcription is central to how cells use and protect their DNA. It operates alongside replication, DNA repair, and recombination; processes that all depend on the same DNA template and therefore must be tightly coordinated. When RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), the enzyme, which carries out transcription, pauses for too long or at the wrong place, it can obstruct other DNA-based processes and increase the risk of genome instability. Yet transcription also helps cells repair deleterious lesions such as DNA double-stranded breaks. Using examples from our recent work, I will discuss how we may reconcile these seemingly opposing roles of transcription, with a particular focus on our unpublished findings.