Plant Recombinases RAD51 and DMC1: Central Players in Genome Stability and Stress Response

Abstract

Maintenance of genome integrity is essential for plant growth, reproduction, and adaptation to environmental stresses. DNA damage caused by endogenous metabolic processes and environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation, drought, salinity, and temperature extremes can threaten genomic stability. Homologous recombination (HR) represents one of the most accurate mechanisms for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), and two evolutionarily conserved recombinases, RAD51 and DMC1, play central roles in this pathway. RAD51 functions in both mitotic and meiotic cells, whereas DMC1 is predominantly meiosis-specific. Together, these proteins facilitate homology search, strand invasion and DNA repair, ensuring genome stability and proper chromosome segregation. Recent studies have highlighted their importance not only in DNA repair but also in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. This mini-review summarizes the structure, function, and regulation of RAD51 and DMC1 in plants and discusses their significance in genome maintenance, stress tolerance, and crop improvement.