Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama St, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
BMC Biol. 2018 Apr 11;16(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s12915-018-0506-7.
A gene regulatory network (GRN) describes the hierarchical relationship between transcription factors, associated proteins, and their target genes. Studying GRNs allows us to understand how a plant's genotype and environment are integrated to regulate downstream physiological responses. Current efforts in plants have focused on defining the GRNs that regulate functions such as development and stress response and have been performed primarily in genetically tractable model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Future studies will likely focus on how GRNs function in non-model plants and change over evolutionary time to allow for adaptation to extreme environments. This broader understanding will inform efforts to engineer GRNs to create tailored crop traits.
基因调控网络 (GRN) 描述了转录因子、相关蛋白及其靶基因之间的层次关系。研究 GRN 可以帮助我们了解植物的基因型和环境如何整合以调节下游的生理反应。目前，植物领域的研究主要集中在鉴定调控发育和应激反应等功能的 GRN，这些研究主要在拟南芥等遗传上易于操作的模式植物物种中进行。未来的研究可能集中在 GRN 在非模式植物中的功能以及随时间进化而发生的变化，以适应极端环境。这种更广泛的理解将为工程 GRN 以创造定制的作物特性提供信息。
