Double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) continuously arise and cause mutations and chromosomal rearrangements. Here, we present DSBCapture, a sequencing-based method that captures DSBs in situ and directly maps these at single-nucleotide resolution, enabling the study of DSB origin. DSBCapture shows substantially increased sensitivity and data yield compared with other methods. Using DSBCapture, we uncovered a striking relationship between DSBs and elevated transcription within nucleosome-depleted chromatin.We thank G. Legube, LBCMCP, Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France for providing U2OS AID-DIvA cells. We thank the genomic core facility at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. R.H.-H. acknowledges EMBO for support (EMBO Long-Term Fellowship to R.H.-H.). We acknowledge support from the University of Cambridge and the Cancer Research UK program. The Balasubramanian laboratory is supported by core funding from Cancer Research UK (C14303/A17197 to S.B.) and by an ERC Advanced Grant (S.B.). S.B. is a senior investigator of the Wellcome Trust
