A mitochondrial response to oxidative stress mediated by unscheduled RNA-DNA hybrids (R-loops)

Abstract

How oxidative stress promotes aging-related human diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here, we discuss the origins and implications of an oxidative-stress response recently reported to destabilize the mitochondrial (mt) genome via unscheduled RNA/DNA hybrid (R-loop) accumulation, by impairing the recruitment of RNAseH1 to the regulatory regions of mtDNA.

Keywords

• oxidative stress
• mitochondria
• rna-dna hybrid
• r-loops
• mtdna replication
• brca2
• setx
• prpf8
• cancer
• neurodegeneration
• genomic instability