Pecinka lab:Research
Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics |
Plant Genome BiologyGenetic information of a living organism is constantly exposed to internal and external DNA damaging factors, such as reactive oxygen species, solar UV radiation or cleavage by endogenous transposases. Robust protection of genetic information may be particularly important for sedentary organisms with late separation of germline cells, such as plants. Therefore, controlling genome integrity by the repair of damaged DNA and epigenetic silencing of transposable elements are the key molecular functions needed for a long term plant survival. The goal of our laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms of plant genome protection and repair under ambient and stress conditions.
Current ProjectsDNA damage repair mechanisms in plants – the key to genome integrityMutagenic effects of solar UV-B radiation. Plants require sunlight for photosynthesis. However, UV-B (280-312 nm) may cause damage of membranes, proteins and nucleic acids. In DNA, UV-B introduces non-native bonds between two pyrimidine sites, which can result in mutations if not repaired. Although the key repair components are known, it remains unknown how many UV-B mutations are induced in meristems and transmitted to next generations by solar doses of UV-B radiation. We address this question in collaboration with the sun simulator facility at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich and Schneeberger lab at MPIPZ. This will elucidate what is the number and spectrum of mutations caused by UV-B radiation under 'natural' conditions and how does this contribute to plant genome evolution.
Cytidine analogs, zebularine or 5-aza-cytidine, are used in epigenetic research as suppressors of gene silencing. However, their molecular effects are only incompletely understood. We found that zebularine treatment triggers DNA damage response that is signaled additively by ATR and ATM kinases and is repaired preferentially by synthesis-dependent strand annealing-type of homologous recombination. Our current efforts are focused on understanding the mechanism of zebularine DNA damage induction and repair in plants.
Epigenetic control of transposon silencing under ambient and stress conditions and role of transposons in genome evolutionTransposons occur in all known eukaryotic genomes. Although considered as excessive genomic fraction, there is growing evidence on their importance for specific biological processes. However, spurious transposon activity may have deleterious effects on genome stability. Therefore, transposons are suppressed by transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), an epigenetic control mechanism that creates and maintains constitutively repressive chromatin state.
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