Zaets V.N., Karpov P.A., Smertenko P.S., Blume Ya.B.

Molecular mechanisms of the repair of UV-induced damages of plant DNA

Cytology and Genetics 2006, v 40, number 5, 40-68

Solar UV-B radiation is an environmental factor which damage and destabilize genomes. UV-B-induced DNA lesions have cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on the cells of pro- and eucaryotes including plants. In addition, such lesions can cause gene mutations in plants. The products of the damages of cellular DNA caused by UV are examined in the present review and plant reparative pathways including photoreactivation, base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair are analyzed. The review deals as well with the mechanisms of plant DNA damage tolerance which allow to reduce the toxic effects of UV-B radiation.