Plant NF-Y transcription factors: Key players in plant-microbe interactions, root development and adaptation to stress

ZANETTI, MARÍA EUGENIA; NIEBEL, ANDREAS; RÍPODAS, CAROLINA

BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 1860 p. 645 - 654

1874-9399

NF-Ys are heterotrimeric transcription factors composed by the NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits. In plants, NF-Ysubunits are encoded by multigene families whose members show structural and functional diversifications. Anincreasing number of NF-Y genes has been shown to play key roles during different stages of root nodule andarbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, as well as during the interaction of plants with pathogenic microorganisms.Individual members of the NF-YA and NF-YB families have also been implicated in the development of primaryand lateral roots. In addition, different members of the NF-YA and NF-YB gene families from mono- and dicotyledonousplants have been involved in plant responses to water and nutrient scarcity. This review presentsthe most relevant and striking results concerning these NF-Y subunits. A phylogenetic analysis of the functionallycharacterized NF-Y genes revealed that, across plant species, NF-Y proteins functioning in the same biologicalprocess tend to belong to common phylogenetic groups. Finally, we discuss the forthcoming challenges ofplant NF-Y research, including the detailed dissection of expression patterns, the elucidation of functional specificitiesas well as the characterization of the potential NF-Y-mediated epigenetic mechanisms by which they controlthe expression of their target genes.