title: LEC1-LIKE paralog transcription factor: how to survive extinction and fit in NF-Y protein complex.
abstract: Transcription factor function is crucial for eukaryotic systems. The presence of transcription factor families in genomes represents a significant technical challenge for functional studies. To understand their function, we must understand how they evolved and maintained by organisms. Based on genome scale searches for homologs of LEAFY COTYLEDON-LIKE (L1L; AtNF-YB6), NF-YB transcription factor, we report the discovery and annotation of a complete repertoire of thirteen novel genes that belong to the L1L paralogous gene family of Solanum lycopersicum. Gene duplication events within the species resulted in the expansion of the L1L family. Sequence and structure-based phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct groups of L1Ls in tomato. Natural selection appears to have contributed to the asymmetric evolution of paralogs. Our results point to key differences among SlL1L paralogs in the presence of motifs, structural features, cysteine composition and expression patterns during plant and fruit development. Furthermore, differences in the binding domains of L1L members suggest that some of them evolved new binding specificities. These results reveal dramatic functional diversification of L1L paralogs for their maintenance in tomato genome. Our comprehensive insights on tomato L1L family should provide the basis for further functional and genetic experimentation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: zhilioti@certh.gr.
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hilioti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece; Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece. Electronic address: giannis.ganopoulos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ganopoulos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, 8075 Greenmead Drive, Avrum Gudelski Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: bossisi@umd.edu.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bossis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece; Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece. Electronic address: Tsaft@certh.gr.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsaftaris
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018745:Genome, Plant; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics*; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Cysteine variation; Development; Gene evolution; NF-YB/L1L; Paralog transcription factor family