BLM-dependent Break-Induced Replication handles DSBs in transcribed chromatin upon impaired RNA:DNA hybrids dissolution.

Abstract

Transcriptionally active loci are particularly prone to breakage and mounting evidence suggest that DNA Double-Strand Breaks arising in genes are handled by a dedicated repair pathway, Transcription-Coupled DSB Repair (TC-DSBR), that entails R-loops accumulation and dissolution. Here, we uncovered a critical function of the Bloom RecQ DNA helicase (BLM) in TC-DSBR in human cells. BLM is recruited in a transcription dependent-manner at DSBs where it fosters resection, RAD51 binding and accurate Homologous Recombination repair. However, in a R-loop dissolution-deficient background BLM switches from promoting Homologous Recombination to promoting Break-Induced Replication (BIR), which strongly impairs cell viability. Altogether our work unveils a role for BLM in BIR at DSBs in active chromatin, and highlights the toxic potential of RNA:DNA hybrids that accumulate at these transcription-associated DSBs.