Exploring the connection between the MMR system and water stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

RAMOS, R.; ARCE, L.; SPAMPINATO, C.

Rosario

Congreso; LIX Reunión Anual SAIB; 2023

As sessile organisms, plants are continuously exposed to a variety of adverse environmental factors. These factors can cause damage to several biomolecules, such as DNA. Fortunately, all living organisms including plants have multiple mechanisms for detecting and repairing DNA damage in order to maintain the integrity of the genome. One of them is the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system. MMR proteins are implicated in sensing and correcting DNA-replication associated errors and other nucleotide lesions induced by different stresses. Although extensive research has individually examined plant responses to water stress and DNA damage, their potential interconnection remains relatively unexplored. Our findings indicate that plants lacking MSH6 demonstrate an enhanced drought tolerance while exhibiting a decreased flooding tolerance when compared to WT plants. Additionally, msh6 mutant plants show a slightly higher tolerance to mannitol-induced water stress. Moreover, AtMSH6 expression is up-regulated by mannitol treatment and down-regulated by flooding treatment. These observations suggest a potential correlation between MMR proteins and water stress in plants. Further investigations are needed to examine how these responses are connected.