State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
J Integr Plant Biol. 2012 Sep;54(9):616-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7909.2012.01149.x.
Transcription factors (TFs) are important regulators of gene expression. To better understand TF-encoding genes in maize (Zea mays L.), a genome-wide TF prediction was performed using the updated B73 reference genome. A total of 2298 TF genes were identified, which can be classified into 56 families. The largest family, known as the MYB superfamily, comprises 322 MYB and MYB-related TF genes. The expression patterns of 2 014 (87.64%) TF genes were examined using RNA-seq data, which resulted in the identification of a subset of TFs that are specifically expressed in particular tissues (including root, shoot, leaf, ear, tassel and kernel). Similarly, 98 kernel-specific TF genes were further analyzed, and it was observed that 29 of the kernel-specific genes were preferentially expressed in the early kernel developmental stage, while 69 of the genes were expressed in the late kernel developmental stage. Identification of these TFs, particularly the tissue-specific ones, provides important information for the understanding of development and transcriptional regulation of maize.
转录因子（TFs）是基因表达的重要调控因子。为了更好地了解玉米（Zea mays L.）中的 TF 编码基因，使用更新的 B73 参考基因组进行了全基因组 TF 预测。共鉴定出 2298 个 TF 基因，可分为 56 个家族。最大的家族，称为 MYB 超家族，包含 322 个 MYB 和 MYB 相关的 TF 基因。使用 RNA-seq 数据检测了 2014 个（87.64%）TF 基因的表达模式，结果鉴定出一组特定组织（包括根、茎、叶、穗、雄穗和籽粒）特异性表达的 TFs。同样，对 98 个籽粒特异性 TF 基因进行了进一步分析，观察到 29 个籽粒特异性基因在早期籽粒发育阶段优先表达，而 69 个基因在晚期籽粒发育阶段表达。这些 TF 的鉴定，特别是组织特异性 TF 的鉴定，为理解玉米的发育和转录调控提供了重要信息。
