@article{93251ffcaf5646c0ba70dcc97657e4bd,
title = "Attenuation of RNA polymerase II pausing mitigates BRCA1-associated R-loop accumulation and tumorigenesis",
abstract = "Most BRCA1-associated breast tumours are basal-like yet originate from luminal progenitors. BRCA1 is best known for its functions in double-strand break repair and resolution of DNA replication stress. However, it is unclear whether loss of these ubiquitously important functions fully explains the cell lineage-specific tumorigenesis. In vitro studies implicate BRCA1 in elimination of R-loops, DNA-RNA hybrid structures involved in transcription and genetic instability. Here we show that R-loops accumulate preferentially in breast luminal epithelial cells, not in basal epithelial or stromal cells, of BRCA1 mutation carriers. Furthermore, R-loops are enriched at the 5′ end of those genes with promoter-proximal RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pausing. Genetic ablation of Cobra1, which encodes a Pol II-pausing and BRCA1-binding protein, ameliorates R-loop accumulation and reduces tumorigenesis in Brca1-knockout mouse mammary epithelium. Our studies show that Pol II pausing is an important contributor to BRCA1-associated R-loop accumulation and breast cancer development.",
author = "Xiaowen Zhang and Chiang, {Huai Chin} and Yao Wang and Chi Zhang and Sabrina Smith and Xiayan Zhao and Nair, {Sreejith J.} and Joel Michalek and Ismail Jatoi and Meeghan Lautner and Boyce Oliver and Howard Wang and Anna Petit and Teresa Soler and Joan Brunet and Francesca Mateo and {Angel Pujana}, Miguel and Elizabeth Poggi and Krysta Chaldekas and Claudine Isaacs and Peshkin, {Beth N.} and Oscar Ochoa and Frederic Chedin and Constantine Theoharis and Sun, {Lu Zhe} and Curiel, {Tyler J.} and Richard Elledge and Jin, {Victor X.} and Yanfen Hu and Rong Li",
note = "Funding Information: The work was supported by grants to Y.H. from the National Institutes of Health (NIH CA170306), to L.-Z.S. from NIH (ES022057), to V.X.J. from NIH (GM114142), to T.J.C from NIH (CA164122) and the Skinner Endowment and the Holly Beach Public Library and to R.L. from NIH (CA161349), the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (WSlXWH-14-1-0129) and the Tom C. and H. Frost Endowment. H.-C.C. was supported by an NCI T32 Training Grant (T32CA148724). We also thank generous support from Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (P30CA054174). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Author(s).",
year = "2017",
month = jun,
day = "26",
doi = "10.1038/ncomms15908",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "8",
journal = "Nature communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
}