Academic Appointments


Honors & Awards


  • Stanford Cancer Institute Fellowship Award, Stanford University (July 2021 - June 2022)
  • Fellow Award, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (July 2016 - July 2020)

Professional Education


  • PhD, University of Cambridge, Molecular Biology (2015)
  • Master of Arts (Cantab), University of Cambridge, Natural Sciences (2014)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests


Investigating the role of R-loops in genome instability and cancer.

All Publications


  • Direct visualization of transcription-replication conflicts reveals post-replicative DNA:RNA hybrids. Nature structural & molecular biology Stoy, H., Zwicky, K., Kuster, D., Lang, K. S., Krietsch, J., Crossley, M. P., Schmid, J. A., Cimprich, K. A., Merrikh, H., Lopes, M. 2023

    Abstract

    Transcription-replication collisions (TRCs) are crucial determinants of genome instability. R-loops were linked to head-on TRCs and proposed to obstruct replication fork progression. The underlying mechanisms, however, remained elusive due to the lack of direct visualization and of non-ambiguous research tools. Here, we ascertained the stability of estrogen-induced R-loops on the human genome, visualized them directly by electron microscopy (EM), and measured R-loop frequency and size at the single-molecule level. Combining EM and immuno-labeling on locus-specific head-on TRCs in bacteria, we observed the frequent accumulation of DNA:RNA hybrids behind replication forks. These post-replicative structures are linked to fork slowing and reversal across conflict regions and are distinct from physiological DNA:RNA hybrids at Okazaki fragments. Comet assays on nascent DNA revealed a marked delay in nascent DNA maturation in multiple conditions previously linked to R-loop accumulation. Altogether, our findings suggest that TRC-associated replication interference entails transactions that follow initial R-loop bypass by the replication fork.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41594-023-00928-6

    View details for PubMedID 36864174

  • R-loop-derived cytoplasmic RNA-DNA hybrids activate an immune response. Nature Crossley, M. P., Song, C., Bocek, M. J., Choi, J., Kousorous, J., Sathirachinda, A., Lin, C., Brickner, J. R., Bai, G., Lans, H., Vermeulen, W., Abu-Remaileh, M., Cimprich, K. A. 2022

    Abstract

    R-loops are RNA-DNA-hybrid-containing nucleic acids with important cellular roles. Deregulation of R-loop dynamics can lead to DNA damage and genome instability1, which has been linked to the action of endonucleases such as XPG2-4. However, the mechanisms and cellular consequences of such processing have remained unclear. Here we identify a new population of RNA-DNA hybrids in the cytoplasm that are R-loop-processing products. When nuclear R-loops were perturbed by depleting the RNA-DNA helicase senataxin (SETX) or the breast cancer gene BRCA1(refs. 5-7), we observed XPG- and XPF-dependent cytoplasmic hybrid formation. We identify their source as a subset of stable, overlapping nuclear hybrids with a specific nucleotide signature. Cytoplasmic hybrids bind to the patternrecognition receptors cGAS and TLR3(ref.8), activating IRF3 and inducing apoptosis. Excised hybrids and an R-loop-induced innate immune response were also observed in SETX-mutated cells from patients with ataxia oculomotor apraxia type 2(ref.9) and in BRCA1-mutated cancer cells10. These findings establish RNA-DNA hybrids as immunogenic species that aberrantly accumulate in the cytoplasm after R-loop processing, linking R-loop accumulation to cell death through the innate immune response. Aberrant R-loop processing and subsequent innate immune activation may contribute to many diseases, such as neurodegeneration and cancer.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41586-022-05545-9

    View details for PubMedID 36544021

  • Relationships between genome-wide R-loop distribution and classes of recurrent DNA breaks in neural stem/progenitor cells. Scientific reports Thongthip, S., Carlson, A., Crossley, M. P., Schwer, B. 2022; 12 (1): 13373

    Abstract

    Recent studies revealed classes of recurrent DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in neural stem/progenitor cells, including transcription-associated, promoter-proximal breaks and recurrent DSB clusters in late-replicating, long neural genes that may give rise to somatic brain mosaicism. The mechanistic factors promoting these different classes of DSBs in neural stem/progenitor cells are not understood. Here, we elucidated the genome-wide landscape of RNA:DNA hybrid structures called "R-loops" in primary neural stem/progenitor cells undergoing aphidicolin-induced, mild replication stress to assess the potential contribution of R-loops to the different, recurrent classes of DNA break "hotspots". We find that R-loops in neural stem/progenitor cells undergoing mild replication stress are present primarily in early-replicating, transcribed regions and in genes with promoter GC skew that are associated with cell lineage-specific processes. Surprisingly, most long, neural genes that form recurrent DSB clusters do not show R-loop formation under conditions of mild replication stress. Our findings are consistent with a role of R-loop-associated processes in promoter-proximal DNA break formation in highly transcribed, early replicating regions but suggest that R-loops do not drive replication stress-induced, recurrent DSB cluster formation in most long, neural genes.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41598-022-17452-0

    View details for PubMedID 35927309

  • Quantitative DNA-RNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing with Spike-Ins. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Crossley, M. P., Cimprich, K. A. 2022; 2528: 381-410

    Abstract

    R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures, comprising an RNA-DNA hybrid and a displaced strand of ssDNA. R-loops have important physiological roles in cells, but deregulation of R-loop dynamics can also have harmful cellular outcomes. The genome-wide mapping of R-loops offers an unbiased approach to study R-loop biology in a wide range of contexts. Here we present a protocol to sequence RNA-DNA hybrids genome-wide with strand-specificity and high resolution. We also include information on how to prepare and incorporate into the workflow appropriate internal spike-in standards which facilitate accurate normalization of the sequencing signal, thereby providing quantitative insights into R-loop formation between different experimental samples.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/978-1-0716-2477-7_26

    View details for PubMedID 35704206

  • Catalytically inactive, purified RNase H1: A specific and sensitive probe for RNA-DNA hybrid imaging. The Journal of cell biology Crossley, M. P., Brickner, J. R., Song, C., Zar, S. M., Maw, S. S., Chédin, F., Tsai, M. S., Cimprich, K. A. 2021; 220 (9)

    Abstract

    R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures with both physiological and pathological roles in cells. R-loop imaging generally relies on detection of the RNA-DNA hybrid component of these structures using the S9.6 antibody. We show that the use of this antibody for imaging can be problematic because it readily binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in vitro and in vivo, giving rise to nonspecific signal. In contrast, purified, catalytically inactive human RNase H1 tagged with GFP (GFP-dRNH1) is a more specific reagent for imaging RNA-DNA hybrids. GFP-dRNH1 binds strongly to RNA-DNA hybrids but not to dsRNA oligonucleotides in fixed human cells and is not susceptible to binding endogenous RNA. Furthermore, we demonstrate that purified GFP-dRNH1 can be applied to fixed cells to detect hybrids after their induction, thereby bypassing the need for cell line engineering. GFP-dRNH1 therefore promises to be a versatile tool for imaging and quantifying RNA-DNA hybrids under a wide range of conditions.

    View details for DOI 10.1083/jcb.202101092

    View details for PubMedID 34232287

  • qDRIP: a method to quantitatively assess RNA-DNA hybrid formation genome-wide. Nucleic acids research Crossley, M. P., Bocek, M. J., Hamperl, S. n., Swigut, T. n., Cimprich, K. A. 2020

    Abstract

    R-loops are dynamic, co-transcriptional nucleic acid structures that facilitate physiological processes but can also cause DNA damage in certain contexts. Perturbations of transcription or R-loop resolution are expected to change their genomic distribution. Next-generation sequencing approaches to map RNA-DNA hybrids, a component of R-loops, have so far not allowed quantitative comparisons between such conditions. Here, we describe quantitative differential DNA-RNA immunoprecipitation (qDRIP), a method combining synthetic RNA-DNA-hybrid internal standards with high-resolution, strand-specific sequencing. We show that qDRIP avoids biases inherent to read-count normalization by accurately profiling signal in regions unaffected by transcription inhibition in human cells, and by facilitating accurate differential peak calling between conditions. We also use these quantitative comparisons to make the first estimates of the absolute count of RNA-DNA hybrids per cell and their half-lives genome-wide. Finally, we identify a subset of RNA-DNA hybrids with high GC skew which are partially resistant to RNase H. Overall, qDRIP allows for accurate normalization in conditions where R-loops are perturbed and for quantitative measurements that provide previously unattainable biological insights.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/nar/gkaa500

    View details for PubMedID 32544226

  • R-Loops as Cellular Regulators and Genomic Threats. Molecular cell Crossley, M. P., Bocek, M., Cimprich, K. A. 2019; 73 (3): 398–411

    Abstract

    During transcription, the nascent RNA strand can base pair with its template DNA, displacing the non-template strand as ssDNA and forming a structure called an R-loop. R-loops are common across many domains of life and cause DNA damage in certain contexts. In this review, we summarize recent results implicating R-loops as important regulators of cellular processes such as transcription termination, gene regulation, and DNA repair. We also highlight recent work suggesting that R-loops can be problematic to cells as blocks to efficient transcription and replication that trigger the DNA damage response. Finally, we discuss how R-loops may contribute to cancer, neurodegeneration, and inflammatory diseases and compare the available next-generation sequencing-based approaches to map R-loops genome wide.

    View details for PubMedID 30735654

  • Faulty replication can sting NATURE Crossley, M. P., Cimprich, K. A. 2018; 557 (7703): 34–35

    View details for Web of Science ID 000431234500021

    View details for PubMedID 29713064

  • Targeting Functional Noncoding RNAs. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Crossley, M. P., Krude, T. 2017; 1565: 151-160

    Abstract

    Noncoding RNAs have essential biochemical functions in different areas of cellular metabolism, including protein synthesis, RNA splicing, protein secretion, and DNA replication. We have successfully used Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides for the functional inactivation of small noncoding RNAs required for DNA replication (Y RNAs in vertebrates and stem-bulge RNAs in nematodes). Here we discuss specific issues of targeting functional noncoding RNAs for inactivation by Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides. We present protocols for the design, preparation, and efficacy controls of Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides, as well as brief descriptions for their delivery into vertebrate and nematode embryos.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-6817-6_13

    View details for PubMedID 28364241

  • Co-transcriptional R-loops are the main cause of estrogen-induced DNA damage eLIFE Stork, C. T., Bocek, M., Crossley, M. P., Sollier, J., Sanz, L. A., Chédin, F., Swigut, T., Cimprich, K. A. 2016

    Abstract

    The hormone estrogen (E2) binds the estrogen receptor to promote transcription of E2-responsive genes in the breast and other tissues. E2 also has links to genomic instability, and elevated E2 levels are tied to breast cancer. Here, we show that E2 stimulation causes a rapid, global increase in the formation of R-loops, co-transcriptional RNA-DNA products, which in some instances have been linked to DNA damage. We show that E2-dependent R-loop formation and breast cancer rearrangements are highly enriched at E2-responsive genomic loci and that E2 induces DNA replication-dependent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Strikingly, many DSBs that accumulate in response to E2 are R-loop dependent. Thus, R-loops resulting from the E2 transcriptional response are a significant source of DNA damage. This work reveals a novel mechanism by which E2 stimulation leads to genomic instability and highlights how transcriptional programs play an important role in shaping the genomic landscape of DNA damage susceptibility.

    View details for DOI 10.7554/eLife.17548

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5030092

  • Structural and functional analysis of four non-coding Y RNAs from Chinese hamster cells: identification, molecular dynamics simulations and DNA replication initiation assays BMC Molecular Biology Neto, Q. A., Junior, F. F., Bueno, P. S., Seixas, F. A., Kowalski, M. P., Kheir, E., Krude, T., Fernandez, M. A. 2016: 1

    Abstract

    The genes coding for Y RNAs are evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates. These non-coding RNAs are essential for the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in vertebrate cells. However thus far, no information is available about Y RNAs in Chinese hamster cells, which have already been used to detect replication origins and alternative DNA structures around these sites. Here, we report the gene sequences and predicted structural characteristics of the Chinese hamster Y RNAs, and analyze their ability to support the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in vitro.We identified DNA sequences in the Chinese hamster genome of four Y RNAs (chY1, chY3, chY4 and chY5) with upstream promoter sequences, which are homologous to the four main types of vertebrate Y RNAs. The chY1, chY3 and chY5 genes were highly conserved with their vertebrate counterparts, whilst the chY4 gene showed a relatively high degree of diversification from the other vertebrate Y4 genes. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that chY4 RNA is structurally stable despite its evolutionarily divergent predicted stem structure. Of the four Y RNA genes present in the hamster genome, we found that only the chY1 and chY3 RNA were strongly expressed in the Chinese hamster GMA32 cell line, while expression of the chY4 and chY5 RNA genes was five orders of magnitude lower, suggesting that they may in fact not be expressed. We synthesized all four chY RNAs and showed that any of these four could support the initiation of DNA replication in an established human cell-free system.These data therefore establish that non-coding chY RNAs are stable structures and can substitute for human Y RNAs in a reconstituted cell-free DNA replication initiation system. The pattern of Y RNA expression and functionality is consistent with Y RNAs of other rodents, including mouse and rat.

    View details for DOI 10.1186/s12867-015-0053-5

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4702372

  • Non-coding stem-bulge RNAs are required for cell proliferation and embryonic development in C-elegans JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE Kowalski, M. P., Baylis, H. A., Krude, T. 2015; 128 (11): 2118-2129

    Abstract

    Stem bulge RNAs (sbRNAs) are a family of small non-coding, stem-loop RNAs present in C. elegans and other nematodes, the function of which is unknown. Here, we report the first functional characterisation of nematode sbRNAs. We demonstrate that sbRNAs from a range of nematode species are able to reconstitute the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in the presence of replication proteins in vitro, and that conserved nucleotide sequence motifs are essential for this function. By functionally inactivating sbRNAs with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides we show that sbRNAs are required for S phase progression, early embryonic development and viability of C. elegans in vivo. Thus, we demonstrate a novel and essential role for sbRNAs during the early development of C. elegans. sbRNAs show limited nucleotide sequence homology to vertebrate Y RNAs, which are also essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Our results therefore establish that the essential function of small non-coding stem-loop RNAs during DNA replication extends beyond vertebrates.

    View details for DOI 10.1242/jcs.166744

    View details for Web of Science ID 000355559600011

    View details for PubMedID 25908866

  • Functional roles of non-coding Y RNAs. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology Kowalski, M. P., Krude, T. n. 2015

    Abstract

    Non-coding RNAs are involved in a multitude of cellular processes but the biochemical function of many small non-coding RNAs remains unclear. The family of small non-coding Y RNAs is conserved in vertebrates and related RNAs are present in some prokaryotic species. Y RNAs are also homologous to the newly identified family of non-coding stem-bulge RNAs (sbRNAs) in nematodes, for which potential physiological functions are only now emerging. Y RNAs are essential for the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in vertebrates and, when bound to the Ro60 protein, they are involved in RNA stability and cellular responses to stress in several eukaryotic and prokaryotic species. Additionally, short fragments of Y RNAs have recently been identified as abundant components in the blood and tissues of humans and other mammals, with potential diagnostic value. While the number of functional roles of Y RNAs is growing, it is becoming increasingly clear that the conserved structural domains of Y RNAs are essential for distinct cellular functions. Here, we review the biochemical functions associated with these structural RNA domains, as well as the functional conservation of Y RNAs in different species. The existing biochemical and structural evidence supports a domain model for these small non-coding RNAs that has direct implications for modular evolution of functional non-coding RNAs.

    View details for PubMedID 26159929

  • Nucleotide contributions to the structural integrity and DNA replication initiation activity of noncoding y RNA BIOCHEMISTRY Wang*, I., Kowalski*, M. P., Langley, A. R., Rodriguez, R., Balasubramanian, S., Hsu, S. T., Krude, T. 2014; 53 (37): 5848-5863

    View details for DOI 10.1021/bi500470b

  • CXCL12/CXCR4 Blockade Induces Multimodal Antitumor Effects That Prolong Survival in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer CANCER RESEARCH Righi, E., Kashiwagi, S., Yuan, J., Santosuosso, M., LeBlanc, P., Ingraham, R., Forbes, B., Edelblute, B., Collette, B., Xing, D., Kowalski, M., Mingari, M. C., Vianello, F., Birrer, M., Orsulic, S., Dranoff, G., Poznansky, M. C. 2011; 71 (16): 5522-5534

    Abstract

    The chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 are expressed widely in human cancers, including ovarian cancer, in which they are associated with disease progression at the levels of tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Here, we used an immunocompetent mouse model of intraperitoneal papillary epithelial ovarian cancer to show that modulation of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in ovarian cancer has multimodal effects on tumor pathogenesis associated with induction of antitumor immunity. siRNA-mediated knockdown of CXCL12 in BR5-1 cells that constitutively express CXCL12 and CXCR4 reduced cell proliferation in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. Similarly, treatment of BR5-1-derived tumors with AMD3100, a selective CXCR4 antagonist, resulted in increased tumor apoptosis and necrosis, reduction in intraperitoneal dissemination, and selective reduction of intratumoral FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg). Compared with controls, CXCR4 blockade greatly increased T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses, conferring a significant survival advantage to AMD3100-treated mice. In addition, the selective effect of CXCR4 antagonism on intratumoral Tregs was associated with both higher CXCR4 expression and increased chemotactic responses to CXCL12, a finding that was also confirmed in a melanoma model. Together, our findings reinforce the concept of a critical role for the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in ovarian cancer pathogenesis, and they offer a definitive preclinical validation of CXCR4 as a therapeutic target in this disease.

    View details for DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-3143

    View details for Web of Science ID 000293831500018

    View details for PubMedID 21742774