Molecular Links Between Heat Stress and DNA Damage Response in Plants.

DNA damage response (DDR) components, including SOG1 and HOS1-RECQ2, are linked to plant heat stress responses, highlighting DDR as a key regulator of thermotolerance.

• Why it matters: Heat stress from climate change threatens crop productivity and food security, necessitating a deeper understanding of plant molecular mechanisms to enhance resilience.
• What they did: The review summarizes recent research on DDR pathways, focusing on SOG1, its downstream targets, and emerging SOG1-independent modules like the HOS1-RECQ2 pathway and the plant DREAM complex.
• The result: These findings suggest DDR's central role in coordinating genome stability, stress signaling, and growth under heat stress, offering potential avenues for developing heat-tolerant crops.