The Arabidopsis thaliana Nuclear Factor Y Transcription Factors

Abstract

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is an evolutionarily conserved trimeric transcription factor complex present in nearly all eukaryotes. The heterotrimeric NF-Y complex consists of three subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC, and binds to the CCAAT box in the promoter regions of its target genes to regulate their expression. Yeast and mammal genomes generally have single genes with multiple splicing isoforms that encode each NF-Y subunit. By contrast, plant genomes generally have multi-gene families encoding each subunit and these genes are differentially expressed in various tissues or stages. Therefore, different subunit combinations can lead to a wide variety of NF-Y complexes in various tissues, stages, and growth conditions, indicating the potentially diverse functions of this complex in plants. Indeed, many recent studies have proved that the NF-Y complex plays multiple essential roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this review, we highlight recent progress on NF-Y in Arabidopsis thaliana, including NF-Y protein structure, heterotrimeric complex formation, and the molecular mechanism by which NF-Y regulates downstream target gene expression. We then focus on its biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, possible directions for future research on NF-Y are also presented.

Central role of the LEAFY COTYLEDON1 transcription factor in seed development

“…LEC1 is a novel NF‐YB subunit of the NF‐Y complex, a transcription factor that is conserved among eukaryotes and binds the CCAAT DNA motif (Lotan et al ; Calvenzani et al ; Dolfini et al ). In addition to NF‐YB, the NF‐Y complex is comprised of two other subunits, NF‐YA and NY‐YC (Petroni et al ; Zhao et al ). Different from other organisms, such as animals and yeast which contain only one gene for each subunit, plants possess NF‐Y subunit gene families that consist of 8 to 14 members (Petroni et al ; Zhao et al ).…”

“…In addition to NF‐YB, the NF‐Y complex is comprised of two other subunits, NF‐YA and NY‐YC (Petroni et al ; Zhao et al ). Different from other organisms, such as animals and yeast which contain only one gene for each subunit, plants possess NF‐Y subunit gene families that consist of 8 to 14 members (Petroni et al ; Zhao et al ). This diversity of subunits offers the potential for the functional specialization of different combinations of NF‐Y subunits (Siefers et al ; Laloum et al ).…”

“…The ability of NF‐Y complexes containing non‐LEC1‐type NF‐YB subunits to bind the CCAAT motif and to regulate gene transcription has been extensively studied in yeast, mammals and plants (Dolfini et al ; Zhao et al ; Myers and Holt ). The initial step in NF‐Y complex formation involves dimerization between NF‐YB and NF‐YC through their histone‐fold domains.…”

La ruta FUL-AP2 y la longevidad de los meristemos en Arabidopsis thaliana. Bases moleculares y potencial biotecnológico

“…El complejo está formado por las subunidades A, B y C, existiendo varios tipos de cada una de ellas (Zhao et al, 2016). Se ha predicho que en el genoma de Arabidopsis están codificados 30 miembros NF-Y, que pueden dar lugar a 1000 combinaciones de heterotrímeros (Petroni et al, 2012).…”

“…Cada complejo podría estar expresándose de forma diferencial en distintos tejidos o estadios del desarrollo de la planta, lo cual indica el gran potencial regulador de este complejo. De hecho en diferentes estudios se ha relacionado al complejo NF-Y con diferentes aspectos del crecimiento y desarrollo de la planta, como la gametogénesis, embriogénesis, y desarrollo de la semilla entre otros, así como en la respuesta a estrés (revisado en (Zhao et al, 2016). Aunque las subunidades individuales no son activas y para ejercer su función deben formar heterodímeros o heterotrímeros entre ellas, también se ha observado su interacción con otras proteínas y factores de transcripción, para regular distintos aspectos del desarrollo.…”