Project 15 - Markus Löbrich

Recent studies have implicated RNA in the signalling and repair of resected DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination. We have uncovered a sub-pathway of canonical non-homologous end-joining that also involves a limited degree of resection and operates in the G1 phase. In this project we plan to examine the hypothesis that RNA acts as a template in this pathway as well. To this end, we will investigate repair fidelity and RNA involvement in transcribed versus non-transcribed regions of the genome, following break induction by means of ionising radiation or expression of an endonuclease, thereby gaining insight into the physiological relevance of resection-dependent end-joining repair in G1.