Mutation is the source of all heritable diversity, the essential material of evolution and breeding. While mutation rates are often regarded as constant, variability in mutation rates has been observed at nearly every level—varying across mutation types, genome locations, gene functions, epigenomic contexts, environmental conditions, genotypes, and species. This mutation rate variation arises from differential rates of DNA damage, repair, and transposable element activation and insertion that together produce what is measured by DNA mutation rates. We review historical and recent investigations into the causes and consequences of mutation rate variability in plants by focusing on the mechanisms shaping this variation. Emerging mechanistic models point to the evolvability of mutation rate variation across genomes via mechanisms that target DNA repair, shaping the diversification of plants at phenotypic and genomic scales.

中文翻译：

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植物基因组突变率变异的原因

突变是所有可遗传多样性的源泉，是进化和繁殖的基本物质。虽然突变率通常被认为是恒定的，但几乎在每个层面都观察到了突变率的变异性——随突变类型、基因组位置、基因功能、表观基因组背景、环境条件、基因型和物种的不同而变化。这种突变率变化源于 DNA 损伤、修复以及转座元件激活和插入的不同速率，这些因素共同产生了 DNA 突变率所测量的结果。我们回顾了历史和最近对植物突变率变异的原因和后果的研究，重点关注形成这种变异的机制。新兴的机制模型指出，通过针对 DNA 修复的机制，基因组中突变率变异的可进化性，从而在表型和基因组规模上塑造植物的多样化。