Chapter 12 - Plant genome stability—General mechanisms

During evolution, the sessile nature of plant’s ontogenesis necessitated the development of efficient pathways to maintain genome stability. Moreover, the differentiation of gametes late in a sporophytic development requires effective DNA repair in somatic cells. Any alteration in the sequence and structure of the genome of somatic cells that are predecessors of gametes can either be lethal for the cell or cause transmission of mutation to the following generation. Although, in a very rare scenario, a gene mutation can result in a specific phenotype which can benefit plant’s survival in the changing environment, in most of the cases mutations are either silent or deleterious for the cell. The process of repair is in general DNA lesion-specific and encompasses the initial detection of the lesion, followed by chromatin restructuring around the damaged site and the repair itself. In this chapter, we will provide a brief review of the major DNA repair pathways in plants that work together during plant development for efficient maintenance of the genome stability and survival of the plant.