Transcriptional Regulation in Plants

Abstract

Abstract Transcriptional regulation encompasses all of the events leading up to a change in gene expression status, either activation or repression. Although many of the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation are shared between plants and animals, plants are distinctly different in that they rely more heavily on subtle environmental cues than animals do because they are sessile, and they continue to develop new organs post‐embryonically. These unusual features require constant refinement at the transcriptional level to implement large‐scale gene expression changes. Many signalling pathways converge at the level of transcription in plants, including hormone‐response pathways and light‐response pathways, forming complex gene regulatory networks and intricate feed‐back loops to control the growth and development of plants. Additionally, alterations to the chromatin such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation and histone modifications can also affect transcriptional regulation and even lead to the formation of epialleles and genomic imprinting. Key Concepts: Transcriptional regulation in plants relies on many of the same mechanisms as transcriptional regulation in animals but with subtle variations. Plant hormones, such as auxin, play a major instructive role in gene expression. Because plants are sessile organisms, environmental cues (e.g. quality and quantity of light) are critical for regulating transcription and affect the timing of developmental decisions. DNA and histone methylation can alter gene expression and contributes to the formation of heritable epialleles and imprinting.