Work

ATM kinase in plants: Integrating DNA damage response, development, and stress adaptation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase is a central regulator of genome integrity in plants, integrating DNA damage responses with developmental and environmental signaling. While several mechanistic aspects of ATM activation derive from mammalian systems, plant studies reveal both conserved architecture and lineage-specific diversification. This review provides recent advances in plant ATM biology, emphasizing the ATM-SOG1 signaling axis, and multi-site phosphorylation models that coordinate checkpoint enforcement, homologous recombination, and programmed cell death. Species-dependent functional divergence emerges as a defining feature of plant ATM signaling: Arabidopsis atm mutants exhibit partial sterility, rice mutants are infertile, whereas maize atm mutants maintain normal fertility despite elevated DNA damage markers, suggesting altered ATM-ATR balance in large and complex genomes. Beyond canonical DNA damage responses, we discuss ATM function in oxidative stress signaling via the ATM-MKP2-MPK6 module, distinguishing DDR-dependent activation from redox-associated signaling. Finally, we evaluate crop-relevant implications, separating experimentally supported findings from theoretical applications in seed vigor, stress resilience, and genome editing. Together, these insights position ATM as a critical integrator of genome surveillance and stress adaptation in plants.

Source: Plant Stress

DOI: 10.1016/j.stress.2026.101338

Authors: Hee Jin Park, Ji-Hoon Lee

Institution: Chonnam National University

Language: English

Topic: DNA Repair Mechanisms

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,310