GRAS Family Transcription Factor Binding Behaviors in Sorghum bicolor, Oyrza, and Maize

Abstract

Identifying non-coding regions that control gene expression has become an essential aspect of understanding gene regulatory networks that can play a role in crop improvements such as crop manipulation, stress response, and plant evolution. Transcription Factor (TF)-binding approaches can provide additional valuable insights and targets for reverse genetic approaches such as EMS-induced or natural SNP variant screens or CRISPR editing techniques (e.g. promoter bashing). Here, we present the first ever DAP-seq profiles of three GRAS family TFs (SHR, SCL23, and SCL3) in the crop Sorghum bicolor, Oryza sativa japonica, and Zea mays. The binding behaviors of the three GRAS TFs display unique and shared gene targets and categories of previously characterized DNA-binding motifs as well as novel sequences that could potentially be GRAS family-specific recognition motifs. Additional transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility data further facilitates the identification of root-specific GRAS regulatory targets corresponding to previous studies. These results provide unique insights into the GRAS family of TFs and novel regulatory targets for further molecular characterization.