Genome architecture shapes transcriptional responses to topoisomerase depletion in C. elegans.

Topoisomerase depletion in C. elegans preferentially inhibits convergent gene expression and globally hinders transcription elongation, leading to shorter transcripts and poly(A) tails.

• Why it matters: Understanding how DNA supercoiling influences transcription in animal genomes is crucial for revealing fundamental gene regulation mechanisms and the role of genome architecture in response to topological stress.
• What they did: The study used acute topoisomerase depletion combined with nascent transcription profiling, nuclear RNA-seq, histone modification mapping, and long-read sequencing to analyze transcriptional and chromatin responses in C. elegans.
• The result: Findings suggest that genome architecture influences transcriptional responses to DNA supercoiling, highlighting a topological basis for coordinated gene expression in multicellular organisms.