Nucleic acid dynamics at the plant-rhizosphere interface: Regulatory mechanisms, and implications for future food...

Nucleic acids, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), are no longer regarded solely as carriers of hereditary information or intermediates of gene expression. They are now increasingly recognized as structurally distinct biological macromolecules that regulate plant development, stress adaptation, intercellular communication, and rhizosphere interactions. Recent advances in genome editing, pan-genomics, transcriptomics, epitranscriptomics, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) biology have expanded the translational potential of nucleic-acid research for climate-resilient agriculture. Concurrently, the rhizosphere has emerged as a molecular interface in which plant-derived extracellular DNA (exDNA) and extracellular RNA (exRNA) influence microbiome assembly, nutrient signaling, and cross-kingdom communication. Although, these themes are often treated separately in the existing literature, with few reviews integrate intracellular and extracellular nucleic acid functions within a unified plant-soil, particularly rhizosphere, framework. The present review synthesizes current knowledge by linking the macromolecular properties of nucleic acids with their intracellular regulatory functions, extracellular release and fate in soil, roles in rhizosphere communication, and translational relevance for crop improvement and future food security. Particular emphasis is given to biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, nutrient limitation, pathogen pressure, and overall climate instability. We propose that plant and rhizosphere nucleic acids constitute a single adaptive continuum connecting intracellular regulation with extracellular ecological function, thereby providing a broader conceptual basis for climate-resilient and resource-efficient agriculture.