Scientists at Rothamsted and Clemson University have, for the first time, consolidated a rapidly growing yet fragmented body of work to show how a little-known form of DNA — extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) — may function as a powerful “genomic shock absorber” in plants.
Their comprehensive review draws together results from dozens of independent studies and reorganises them into a clear, unified framework. It argues that eccDNA represents a dynamic, functional, and previously under-recognised layer of genome plasticity. By collating and interpreting evidence spread across fields such as weed science, molecular genetics, crop physiology, and bioinformatics, the authors propose that eccDNA helps plants buffer stress and may speed adaptation beyond what…