title: Diversity, expansion, and evolutionary novelty of plant DNA-binding transcription factor families.
abstract: Plant transcription factors (TFs) that interact with specific sequences via DNA-binding domains are crucial for regulating transcriptional initiation and are fundamental to plant development and environmental response. In addition, expansion of TF families has allowed functional divergence of duplicate copies, which has contributed to novel, and in some cases adaptive, traits in plants. Thus, TFs are central to the generation of the diverse plant species that we see today. Major plant agronomic traits, including those relevant to domestication, have also frequently arisen through changes in TF coding sequence or expression patterns. Here our goal is to provide an overview of plant TF evolution by first comparing the diversity of DNA-binding domains and the sizes of these domain families in plants and other eukaryotes. Because TFs are among the most highly expanded gene families in plants, the birth and death process of TFs as well as the mechanisms contributing to their retention are discussed. We also provide recent examples of how TFs have contributed to novel traits that are important in plant evolution and in agriculture.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: Department of Plant Biology, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address: lehtishi@msu.edu.
authors: Melissa D
authors: MD
authors: Lehti-Shiu
authors: The Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Panchy
authors: Department of Plant Biology, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Peipei
authors: P
authors: Wang
authors: The Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors: Sahra
authors: S
authors: Uygun
authors: Department of Plant Biology, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; The Genetics Graduate Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address: shius@msu.edu.
authors: Shin-Han
authors: SH
authors: Shiu
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Evolutionary conservation; Family expansion; Plant novelties; Retention mechanisms; Transcription factor domain families