The genetic information of most living organisms is encoded in DNA. Therefore, damage to DNA can have serious consequences for the survival or development of organisms. DNA can be damaged, for example, by chemicals, UV radiation, and heavy metals, which can lead to a wide variety of different types of damage. Among the most serious forms of damage are DNA single- and double-strand breaks. In response to these breaks, affected cells activate a signaling cascade that ultimately triggers various responses: the activation of DNA repair, the inhibition of the cell cycle, or the induction of cell death. Although the fundamentals of these responses are known, it is still poorly understood—especially in plants—how they are coordinated and regulated.

In our research group, we investigate precisely this coordination and regulation of the DNA damage response. We focus on the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a group of transcripts that has been neglected for decades but holds great potential for revealing previously undiscovered mechanisms regulating the DNA damage response.

(a) adapted from Herbst et al. 2024 Nat. Plants, (b+c) adapted from Herbst et al. 2023 Plant J