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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
Published on: August 21, 2021
DNA photodamage recognition by RNA polymerase II
Florian Brueckner1, Patrick Cramer
1Gene Center Munich, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, D-81377 Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
During gene transcription, RNA polymerase (Pol) II encounters obstacles, including lesions in the DNA template. Here, we review a recent structure-function analysis of Pol II transcribing DNA with a bulky photo-lesion in the template strand. The study provided the molecular basis for recognition of a damaged DNA by Pol II, which is the first step in transcription-coupled DNA repair (TCR). The results have general implications for damage recognition and the TCR mechanism.
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