SOG1 activator and MYB3R repressors regulate a complex DNA damage network in Arabidopsis

DNA damage triggers a highly conserved response that coordinates processes necessary to maintain genome integrity, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and cell death. Despite the identification of primary transcription factors (TFs) that control these processes, knowledge regarding the downstream genes and regulatory networks controlled by these TFs remains poorly understood. Using Arabidopsis, we generated the first model of the DNA damage response transcriptional network, revealing 11 coexpressed gene groups with distinct biological functions and cis-regulatory features. Our characterization of this model demonstrates that SOG1 and three MYB3R TFs are, respectively, the major activator and repressors within this network, coordinating the rapid induction of DNA repair genes and TF cascades as well as the subsequent repression of cell cycle genes.