LAN LABDuke University
Research program
01

RNA & R-loop-Dependent DNA Repair

Defining how RNA and RNA modifications regulate DNA repair and genome maintenance.

We investigate how R-loops and RNA modifications participate directly in DNA-damage responses and uncover RNA-dependent mechanisms that maintain genome stability in cancer.

The RNA m5C mark in an R-loop holds PARP1 back and steers repair toward RNA-dependent recombination. Yang et al., Nature Communications 2023.

Key publications

  • HELZ is a RNA-DNA helicase that resolves R loops to facilitate homologous recombination repair

    Haji-Seyed-Javadi R, Koyen AE, Rath SK, Wu B, Madden MZ, Hou Y, Kapoor-Vazirani P, Roshika R, Aiello M, Luong NC, Tseng WC, Sesay F, Kim JS, Tan T, Kim S, Gao B, Song BS, Kenney AM, Connolly EC, Yang L, Xhemalce B, Li X, Switchenko JM, Yang X, Buchwald ZS, Deng X, Miller KM, Yao B, Lan L, Zhao W, Yu DS

    Nat Commun · 2026

    DOIPubMed

  • The RNA m5C modification in R-loops as an off switch of Alt-NHEJ

    Yang H, Lachtara EM, Ran X, Hopkins J, Patel PS, Zhu X, Xiao Y, Phoon L, Gao B, Zou L, Lawrence MS, Lan L

    Nat Commun · 2023

    DOIPubMed

  • RNA transcripts stimulate homologous recombination by forming DR-loops

    Ouyang J, Yadav T, Zhang JM, Yang H, Rheinbay E, Guo H, Haber DA, Lan L, Zou L

    Nature · 2021

    DOIPubMed

All publications on R-loopsAll research programs