Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42493500›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

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

Ramona Haji-Seyed-Javadi, Allyson E Koyen, Sandip K Rath, Bo Wu, Matthew Z Madden, Yingzi Hou, Priya Kapoor-Vazirani, Roshika Roshika, Meili Aiello, Nho Cong Luong and 21 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

31 authors.

Ramona Haji-Seyed-JavadiDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Allyson E KoyenDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Sandip K RathDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Bo WuDepartment of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-1610-3892
Matthew Z MaddenDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4062-4427
Yingzi HouDepartment of Human Genetics and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Priya Kapoor-VaziraniDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Roshika RoshikaDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Meili AielloDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Nho Cong LuongDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Wei-Che TsengDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Fatmata SesayDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
John S KimDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Tony TanDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2710-426X
Seohyun KimDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Boya GaoDepartment of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Boying S SongDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Anna M KenneyDepartment of Pediatrics and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8323-0618
Erin C ConnollyDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Lily YangDepartment of Surgery and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2959-0094
Blerta XhemalceDepartment of Biochemistry and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0517-9607
Xiaoxian LiDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0995-1721
Jeffrey M SwitchenkoDepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Xiaofeng YangDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9023-5855
Zachary S BuchwaldDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Xingming DengDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0319-1511
Kyle M MillerDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4544-0013
Bing YaoDepartment of Human Genetics and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3205-8130
Li LanDepartment of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0383-6172
Weixing ZhaoDepartment of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5746-3696
David S YuDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. dsyu@emory.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-2781-5379

Funding

Translational and Clinical Trial Correlates CoreU54CA274513 · NCI · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · PI Timothy An-thy Chan · 2022 to 2026
$9.3M
Mechanisms of SIRT2 Function in the Replication Stress ResponseR01CA178999 · NCI · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI YU, DAVID SUNG-WEN · 2013 to 2023
$3.5M
Elucidating SAMHD1 in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair (Supplement)R01CA254403 · NCI · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI KIM, BAEK, YU, DAVID SUNG-WEN · 2020 to 2024
$2.9M
Exploiting SAMHD1 in Directing Radiation and Immunologic DynamicsR01CA301614 · NCI · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Zachary Scott Buchwald, David Sung-wen Yu · 2025 to 2026
$1.3M
Role of Protein N-Myristoylation in Driving DNA Damage ResponseK99GM157498 · NIGMS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Nho Cong Luong · 2025 to 2026
$198k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA178999NCI NIH HHS R01 CA254403NCI NIH HHS R01 CA301614NCI NIH HHS U54 CA274513NIGMS NIH HHS K99 GM157498U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01CA178999U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01CA254403U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01CA301614U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) U54CA274513
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

R loop homeostasis is critical for DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair; however, how R loops are resolved in this context is poorly understood. Here, we define HELZ as a unique RNA-DNA helicase that resolves R loops to facilitate homologous recombination (HR) repair. From a synthetic lethal etoposide resistance siRNA screen, we found that HELZ depletion causes R loop-mediated hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents, and HELZ localizes and binds to DSBs. HELZ preferentially binds to and unwinds RNA-DNA hybrids with 5'ssRNA overhangs to promote R loop resolution genome-wide and at DSBs. Interestingly, HELZ facilitates BRCA1 recruitment to DSBs by preventing R loop accumulation, thereby promoting DNA end resection and HR to prevent R loop mediated genomic instability. In summary, we show that HELZ resolves R loops critical for HR, thereby promoting genome stability and resistance to DSB-inducing agents.

Indexed as

DNA HelicasesRecombinational DNA RepairR-Loop StructuresRNA HelicasesBRCA1 ProteinDNADNA Breaks, Double-StrandedEtoposideGenomic InstabilityHumansRNA, Small InterferingBRCA1 ProteinDNADNA HelicasesEtoposideRNA HelicasesRNA, Small Interfering

Identifiers

PMID42493500
PMCPMC13396810

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.