Conserved pattern of antisense overlapping transcription in the homologous human ERCC-1 and yeast RAD10 DNA repair gene regions.

Abstract

We report that the genes for the homologous Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD10 and human ERCC-1 DNA excision repair proteins harbor overlapping antisense transcription units in their 3' regions. Since naturally occurring antisense transcription is rare in S. cerevisiae and humans (this is the first example in human cells), our findings indicate that antisense transcription in the ERCC-1-RAD10 gene regions represents an evolutionarily conserved feature.