Figure 5. Possible functions of RNA:DNA hybrids during DSB repair.
RNA:DNA hybrids formed around the break could serve: 1. as a platform to recruit DSB repair proteins; 2. to produce DNA damage response RNAs (DDRNAs); 3. as a template for a RNA-mediated repair mechanism 4. to control resection and single-strand binding proteins assembly, thereby regulating downstream events such as Rad51 nucleofilament assembly and homologous recombination.