▪ Abstract Telomeres are essential for genome stability in all eukaryotes. Changes in
telomere functions and the associated chromosomal abnormalities have been implicated in …

Filamentous fungi are widely used in biotechnology as cell factories for the production of
chemicals, pharmaceuticals and enzymes. In order to improve their productivities, genetic …

Ku is of central importance to DNA repair in eukaryotes. In addition, Ku has a key role in a
number of other fundamental cellular processes such as telomere maintenance …

Farmers and growers are constantly looking for high quality seeds able to ensure uniform
field establishment and increased production. Seed priming is used to induce pre …

Seeds are important to agriculture and conservation of plant biodiversity. In agriculture, seed
germination performance is an important determinant of crop yield, in particular under …

Spaceflight-induced changes in astronaut telomeres have garnered significant attention in
recent years. While plants represent an essential component of future long-duration space …

As obligate phototrophs, plants harness energy from sunlight to split water, producing
oxygen and reducing power. This lifestyle exposes plants to particularly high levels of …

Ku70–Ku80 heterodimers promote the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of DNA breaks
and, as shown here, the fusion of dysfunctional telomeres. Paradoxically, this heterodimer is …

In response to DNA damage, cells engage a complex set of events that together comprise
the DNA-damage response (DDR). These events bring about the repair of the damage and …

During the evolution of plant genomes, sequence inversions occurred repeatedly making
the respective regions inaccessible for meiotic recombination and thus for breeding …