Molecular Links Between Heat Stress and DNA Damage Response in Plants

Climate change poses a major threat to agricultural productivity and, consequently, to global food security. Among the consequences of climate change, heat stress (HS) has emerged as a critical factor limiting crop performance. This has stimulated extensive research over the past decade to elucidate the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying plant responses to HS. Recent findings indicate that the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, associated with the maintenance of genome integrity, also plays an important role in plant thermotolerance. This review summarizes recent advances linking DDR components to plant HS responses. We discuss the involvement of the canonical DDR pathway, with particular emphasis on the role of SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1) and its downstream targets in HS responses. In addition, we highlight emerging SOG1-independent modules, including the HOS1-RECQ2 pathway, as well as the recent insights into the plant DREAM complex, which further strengthens the connection between DDR and HS responses. Together, these findings position DDR as a key regulatory node coordinating genome stability, stress signalling and growth modulation under HS conditions. A deeper understanding of this connection may provide new opportunities for developing heat-tolerant crops and improving agricultural resilience in the context of global climate change.