The controlling role of SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1) in DNA damage response in Arabidopsis plants

Abstract

Plants are permanently exposed to a myriad of intrinsic and environmental DNA damaging factors that can impact plant biodiversity and agricultural production. The accumulation of cellular damage accelerates seeds aging leading to loss of seed quality, viability, and vigour. To cope with such challenges, plants evolved specialized DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms to maintain genome stability and integrity. Repairing such damage during seeds early imbibition is crucial for successful germination performance and seed longevity. Genetic regulation of DDR involves the function of SOG1, a NAC transcription factor considered to be a master controllers of downstream target genes in DDR pathway. In our study, I have stably transformed Arabidopsis thaliana with a CRISPR-Cas9 construct targeting SOG1 gene. In the absence of SOG1, Arabidopsis plants exposed to X-ray irradiation shows deficiency in DDR gene regulation, DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, programmed cell death (PCD), and genome stability. In line with previous reports, these results confirm that SOG1 has a central role in DNA damage response.