GENOME DYNAMICS AND SSTABILITY – DNA damage repair
Radiation, temperature, oxidative stress, genotoxic agents from the environment, are important abiotic stress factors which influence plant genomic stability thus affecting the growth and development of cultivated plants and directly correlating with crop productivity. The research is focused on the molecular mechanisms engaged in the maintenance of genomic integrity and stability in cereals after mutagenic exposure (UV light, gamma-rays, high-energy lithium ions, etc.), identification and characterization of DNA repair genes, plant’s transcriptional response to environmental mutagens and abiotic stresses. The investigations provide a basis for assessment of cellular radiation stress response of agriculturally important crops which facilitates the identification and further improvement of stress tolerant genotypes able to withstand high levels of UV radiation and environmental genotoxicity.
