R-loops, three-stranded RNA–DNA hybrids, naturally form during gene activity and DNA repair. In balance, they help regulate genes and maintain genome stability; when uncontrolled, they can damage DNA ...

R-loops are structures that form when a strand of RNA (red) forms a stable structure with double-stranded DNA, causing one strand of the DNA to form a loop. R-loops are associated with gene ...

Genetically speaking, it’s a bacterium’s worst-case scenario: during transcription, newly minted RNA sticks to its DNA template, forming a 3-stranded structure known as an R-loop. While these ...

Image Caption: The factors contributing to R-loop formation. Several factors contribute to R-loop formation, including RNA components, specific DNA structures, histone and RNA modifications, ...

When people think of DNA, they visualize a string-like double helix structure. In reality, the DNA double helix in cells is supercoiled and constrained into loops. This supercoiling and looping are ...

The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and ...

Not all DNA looks like the familiar double helix. Sometimes, parts of our genetic code fold into unusual shapes under certain conditions. One such structure known as a G-quadruplex (G4) looks like a ...

Ribonucleic acid, also called RNA, is a molecule present in all living cells. It plays a critical role in transmitting genetic instructions from DNA and creating proteins. With the power to execute a ...

Supercoiling and looping can transmit mechanical stress along the DNA backbone that can promote the separation of the strands of the double helix at specific distant sites, exposing the DNA bases, ...