DNA DAMAGE AND REPAIR IN PLANTS

The biological impact of any DNA damaging agent is a combined function of the chemical nature of the induced lesions and the efficiency and accuracy of their repair. Although much has been learned from microbes and mammals about both the repair of DNA damage and the biological effects of the persistence of these lesions, much remains to be learned about the mechanism and tissue-specificity of repair in plants. This review focuses on recent work on the induction and repair of DNA damage in higher plants, with special emphasis on UV-induced DNA damage products.