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Title: A Recommendation for Naming Transcription Factor Proteins in the Grasses

Author
item GRAY, JOHN - BIOL SCI UNIV TOLEDO OH
item BEVAN, MICHAEL - MOLE BIO JOHN INNES UK
item BRUTNELL, THOMAS - BOYCE THOMPSON ITHACA NY
item BUELL, C. ROBIN - DPB MICHIGAN ST E LANSING
item CONE, KAREN - DBS U MISSOURI COLUMBIA
item Hake, Sarah
item JACKSON, DAVID - COLD SPRNG HARBOR LAB NY
item KELLOGG, ELIZABETH - BIOL U MISSOURI COLUMBIA
item Lawrence, Carolyn
item MCCOUCH, SUSAN - CORNELL U ITHACA NY
item MOCKLER, TODD - OREGON STATE CORVALLIS OR
item MOOSE, STEPHEN - U ILLINOIS URBABA-CHAMPGN
item PATERSON, ANDREW - U GEORGIA ATLANTA GA
item PETERSON, THOMAS - IOWA STATE AMES IA
item ROKSHAR, DANIEL - DEPT ENERGY WALNUT CREEK
item SOUZA, GLAUCIA MENDES - UNIV SAO PAULO BRAZIL
item SPRINGER, NATHAN - DPB U MINN ST PAUL MN
item STEIN, NILS - LEIBRITZ GATERSLEBEN GER
item TIMMERMANS, MARJA - COLD SPRING HARBOR LAB NY
item WANG, GUO-LIANG - LEIBRITZ GATERSLEBEN GER
item GROTEWOLD, ERICH - LEIBRITZ GATERSLEBEN GER

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2008
Publication Date: 1/1/2009
Citation: Gray, J., Bevan, M., Brutnell, T., Buell, C., Cone, K., Hake, S.C., Jackson, D., Kellogg, E., Lawrence, C.J., Mccouch, S., Mockler, T., Moose, S., Paterson, A., Peterson, T., Rokshar, D., Souza, G., Springer, N., Stein, N., Timmermans, M., Wang, G., Grotewold, E. 2009. A Recommendation for Naming Transcription Factor Proteins in the Grasses. Plant Physiology. 149(1):4-6.

Interpretive Summary: Transcription factors are central for the exquisite temporal and spatial expression patterns of many genes. These proteins are characterized by their ability to be tethered to particular regulatory sequences in the genes that they control. While many other proteins participate in the regulation of gene expression, we limit our definition of transcription factors here to proteins that often contain a characteristic structural motif, the DNA-binding domain, which is involved in recognizing a short (usually 4–8 bp) DNA sequence. Based on the structure of the DNA-binding domain, transcription factors are classified into 50 to 60 different families, and in plants, 5% to 7% of all the protein-encoding genes are transcription factors, making them, collectively, perhaps the largest functional class of proteins.

Technical Abstract: Transcription factors are central for the exquisite temporal and spatial expression patterns of many genes. These proteins are characterized by their ability to be tethered to particular regulatory sequences in the genes that they control. While many other proteins participate in the regulation of gene expression, we limit our definition of transcription factors here to proteins that often contain a characteristic structural motif, the DNA-binding domain, which is involved in recognizing a short (usually 4–8 bp) DNA sequence. Based on the structure of the DNA-binding domain, transcription factors are classified into 50 to 60 different families, and in plants, 5% to 7% of all the protein-encoding genes are transcription factors, making them, collectively, perhaps the largest functional class of proteins.