Review: WRKY transcription factors: Understanding the functional divergence

Hui Song; Yunpeng Cao; Longgang Zhao; Jiancheng Zhang; Shuai Li

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111770

Review: WRKY transcription factors: Understanding the functional divergence

Plant Sci. 2023 Sep:334:111770. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111770. Epub 2023 Jun 13.

Authors

Hui Song¹, Yunpeng Cao², Longgang Zhao³, Jiancheng Zhang⁴, Shuai Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Specialty Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization in Saline Soils of Coastal Beach, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China. Electronic address: biosonghui@outlook.com.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
³ Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Specialty Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization in Saline Soils of Coastal Beach, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; High-efficiency Agricultural Technology Industry Research Institute of Saline and Alkaline Land of Dongying, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
⁴ Shandong Peanut Research Institute, Qingdao 266000, China.
⁵ College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China. Electronic address: li2014shuai@qau.edu.cn.

PMID: 37321304
DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111770

Abstract

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in the growth and development of plants and their response to environmental changes. WRKY TFs have been detected in sequenced plant genomes. The functions and regulatory networks of many WRKY TFs, especially from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtWRKY TFs), have been revealed, and the origin of WRKY TFs in plants is clear. Nonetheless, the relationship between WRKY TFs function and classification is unclear. Furthermore, the functional divergence of homologous WRKY TFs in plants is unclear. In this review, WRKY TFs were explored based on WRKY-related literature published from 1994 to 2022. WRKY TFs were identified in 234 species at the genome and transcriptome levels. The biological functions of ∼ 71 % of AtWRKY TFs were uncovered. Although functional divergence occurred in homologous WRKY TFs, different WRKY TF groups had no preferential function.

Keywords: Arachis; Functional divergence; WRKY transcription factor; Young gene.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Arabidopsis* / genetics
Arabidopsis* / metabolism
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Genome, Plant
Phylogeny
Plant Proteins / metabolism
Transcription Factors* / genetics
Transcription Factors* / metabolism
Transcriptome

Substances

Transcription Factors
Plant Proteins