title: More than meets the eye: Emergent properties of transcription factors networks in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Uncovering and mathematically modeling Transcription Factor Networks (TFNs) are the first steps in engineering plants with traits that are better equipped to respond to changing environments. Although several plant TFNs are well known, the framework for systematically modeling complex characteristics such as switch-like behavior, oscillations, and homeostasis that emerge from them remain elusive. This review highlights literature that provides, in part, experimental and computational techniques for characterizing TFNs. This review also outlines methodologies that have been used to mathematically model the dynamic characteristics of TFNs. We present several examples of TFNs in plants that are involved in developmental and stress response. In several cases, advanced algorithms capture or quantify emergent properties that serve as the basis for robustness and adaptability in plant responses. Increasing the use of mathematical approaches will shed new light on these regulatory properties that control plant growth and development, leading to mathematical models that predict plant behavior. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Networks, edited by Dr. Erich Grotewold and Dr. Nathan Springer.
authors.affiliation: Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Durreshahwar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.affiliation: Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmittling
authors.affiliation: Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Cranos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. Electronic address: talong@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Terri A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000235:genetics*; D063245:Plant Development / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Emergent properties; Mathematical modeling; Transcription factor networks (TFNs)