Deciding the fate of a stalled RNA polymerase

Ever wondered what happens when the transcription machinery runs into a DNA lesion or a protein roadblock? Alexandra M. Deaconescu, corresponding author and research associate in the Grigorieff laboratory together with HHMI Investigator and Biochemistry Professor Dr. Nikolaus Grigorieff and Dr. Irina Artsimovitch (Ohio State University) address this question in a new review “Interplay of DNA repair with transcription: from structures to mechanisms” featured in the latest issue of Trends in Biochemical Sciences. The review describes emerging mechanisms of transcription-coupled DNA repair with emphasis on the bacterial system.