Abstract
The DOF (DNA binding with one finger) family of plant-specific transcription factors (TF) was first identified in maize in 1995. Since then, DOF proteins have been shown to be present in the whole plant kingdom, including the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The DOF TF family is characterised by a highly conserved DNA binding domain (DOF domain), consisting of a CX2C-X21-CX2C motif, which is able to form a zinc finger structure. Early in the study of DOF proteins, their relevance for seed biology became clear. Indeed, the PROLAMIN BINDING FACTOR (PBF), one of the first DOF proteins characterised, controls the endosperm-specific expression of the zein genes in maize. Subsequently, several DOF proteins from both monocots and dicots have been shown to be primarily involved in seed development, dormancy and germination, as well as in seedling development and other light-mediated processes. In the last two decades, the molecular network underlying these processes have been outlined, and the main molecular players and their interactions have been identified. In this review, we will focus on the DOF TFs involved in these molecular networks, and on their interaction with other proteins.
Highlights
The first DOF (DNA binding with one finger) proteins were isolated because of their interaction with viral or bacterial sequences [1,2,3]
The maize DOF1/MNB1a was originally identified as a protein binding to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter [1,4]; the Arabidopsis
DomainB Factor1) DOF protein was identified as the plant transcription factor binding to the promoter of the plant oncogene rolB [3], where it recognises a specific sequence in the region required for rolB
Summary
The first DOF (DNA binding with one finger) proteins were isolated because of their interaction with viral or bacterial sequences [1,2,3]. The maize DOF1/MNB1a was originally identified as a protein binding to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter [1,4]; the Arabidopsis. All DOF proteins bind the highly conserved (T/A)AAAG consensus motif, identified through binding site-selection experiments using the maize DOF proteins DOF1, DOF2, DOF3 and PBF (PROLAMIN BINDING FACTOR) [7]. These first DOF proteins have been linked to viral and bacterial activity, subsequent studies highlighted their fundamental role in plant-specific processes (for a review, see References [8,9,10]). An in-depth analysis of these processes is covered in other articles of this issue
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