Synopsis: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induce transient pausing of transcription on flanking chromatin. Although this phenomenon is driven by ATM and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activities, the molecular determinants that couple transcriptional silencing and DSB repair remain unclear. Mechanistically how gene expression resumes upon completion of DNA repair also warrants scrutiny. This talk will highlight our recent effort to delineate DSB response pathways that fine-tune local transcriptional activities to preserve genome integrity.