Plant Molecular Biology

Though they are both fundamentally dependent on biochemical interactions, plants and animals differ in their basic molecular functions and survival strategies. Although sometimes overlooked, plants offer a fascinating insight into another approach to thriving in a wide range of environments. Unlike animals, once they sprout, they cannot change their place of habitat if the environmental conditions significantly deteriorate, for example, during drought. Therefore, they have developed a range of strategies based on endurance and quiescence rather than roaming. It was suggested that plants have superior tolerance to DNA damage and thus also aging when compared to animals. One possible explanation is that plants could boast more developed, less error-prone DNA damage repair systems.

This topic will explain the chosen molecular mechanisms governing plants using the example of model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) and Oryza sativa (rice).