title: UVR2 ensures transgenerational genome stability under simulated natural UV-B in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Ground levels of solar UV-B radiation induce DNA damage. Sessile phototrophic organisms such as vascular plants are recurrently exposed to sunlight and require UV-B photoreception, flavonols shielding, direct reversal of pyrimidine dimers and nucleotide excision repair for resistance against UV-B radiation. However, the frequency of UV-B-induced mutations is unknown in plants. Here we quantify the amount and types of mutations in the offspring of Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type and UV-B-hypersensitive mutants exposed to simulated natural UV-B over their entire life cycle. We show that reversal of pyrimidine dimers by UVR2 photolyase is the major mechanism required for sustaining plant genome stability across generations under UV-B. In addition to widespread somatic expression, germline-specific UVR2 activity occurs during late flower development, and is important for ensuring low mutation rates in male and female cell lineages. This allows plants to maintain genome integrity in the germline despite exposure to UV-B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Willing
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piofczyk
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: J Barbro
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Korbinian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schneeberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pecinka
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism*; D042822:Genomic Instability; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D008954:Models, Biological; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase