Integrator subunit INTS12 links ribotoxic stress to transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair

Cells use transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) to efficiently resolve transcription-blocking DNA lesions caused by genotoxic stress such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. However, UV also induces RNA damage, triggering a cytoplasmic ribotoxic stress response (RSR). Whether and how RSR affects nuclear TC-NER has remained unclear. Here we identify INTS12, a flexible, poorly characterized subunit of the Integrator complex, as a key mediator linking RSR to TC-NER. Specifically, RSR-activated ZAK signaling induces phosphorylation of INTS12, enhancing its interaction with CSB and promoting recruitment of the Integrator complex to lesion-stalled RNA polymerase II (Pol II). This facilitates Pol II clearance and enables efficient DNA repair through TC-NER. Disruption of this pathway compromises TC-NER and transcription recovery, thereby increasing cellular sensitivity to UV-induced damage. Notably, the requirement for INTS12-mediated Pol II removal is context dependent, as it is not advantageous during the transcription-coupled response to formaldehyde-induced DNA-protein crosslinks, which rely on a distinct proteasome-dependent degradation pathway. Together, these findings uncover a regulatory axis connecting RNA damage signaling to DNA repair and highlight a context-dependent role of INTS12 in maintaining genome integrity.