HERRERO RUIZ , Andrés M.

La topología del DNA condiciona todos los procesos del metabolismo cromosómico y, en especial, la transcripción, ya que el avance de la RNA polimerasa II (Pol II) distorsiona la doble hélice introduciendo un alto nivel de estrés torsional en la molécula. Las DNA topoisomerasas son las enzimas capaces de relajar dicho estrés mediante la...

Cellular DNA is under constant attack by a wide variety of agents, both endogenous and exogenous. To counteract DNA damage, human cells have a large collection of DNA repair factors. Among them, DNA polymerase lambda (Polλ) stands out for its versatility, as it participates in different DNA repair and damage tolerance pathways in which...

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) trigger a variety of cellular signaling processes, collectively termed the DNA-damage response (DDR), that are primarily regulated by protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM). Among DDR activated processes, the repair of DSBs by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is essential. The proper coordination of...

Accumulation of topological stress in the form of DNA supercoiling is inherent to the advance of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and needs to be resolved by DNA topoisomerases to sustain productive transcriptional elongation. Topoisomerases are therefore considered positive facilitators of transcription. Here, we show that, in contrast to this...