DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are lethal threats that need to be repaired. Although many of the proteins involved in the early steps of DSB repair have been characterized, recent reports indicate that damage induced long and small RNAs also play an important role in DSB repair. Here, using a Nicotiana benthamiana transgenic line originally designed as a reporter for targeted knock-ins, we show that DSBs generated by Cas9 induce the transcription of long stable RNAs (damage-induced long RNAs - dilRNAs) that are translated into proteins. Using an array of single guide RNAs we show that the initiation of transcription takes place in the vicinity of the DSB. Single strand DNA nicks are not able to induce transcription, showing that cis DNA damage-induced transcription is specific for DSBs. Our results support a model in which a default and early event in the processing of DSBs is transcription into RNA which, depending on the genomic and genic context, can undergo distinct fates, including translation into protein, degradation or production of small RNAs. Our results have general implications for understanding the role of transcription in the repair of DSBs and, reciprocally, reveal DSBs as yet another way to regulate gene expression.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.