Plants' Secret to Surviving DNA Damage Revealed
Salk Institute scientists have identified a specialized protein, YAF9B, that helps plants repair DNA damage caused by environmental stressors like sunlight. This discovery explains how plants protect their stem cells to ensure survival and growth.
Why it matters
Understanding plant genomic repair mechanisms could lead to breakthroughs in agricultural resilience and crop protection against climate-related stress.
LA JOLLA (June 8, 2026) - Similar to the way DNA damage can contribute to human diseases like cancer, it can also disrupt growth, development, and survival in plants. Every day, plants endure environmental stresses like sunlight, radiation, drought, and soil stress - all of which can damage their DNA. However, they cannot move away from danger. How do plants handle all that damage?
Purely scientific reporting on biological research.
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