Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, F-33882 Villenave d'Ornon, France.
J Exp Bot. 2022 Aug 11;73(14):4662-4673. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac194.
The ZINC FINGER-HOMEODOMAIN (ZHD) protein family is a plant-specific family of transcription factors containing two conserved motifs: a non-canonical C5H3 zinc finger domain (ZF) and a DNA-binding homeodomain (HD). The MINI ZINC FINGER (MIF) proteins belong to this family, but were possibly derived from the ZHDs by losing the HD. Information regarding the function of ZHD and MIF proteins is scarce. However, different studies have shown that ZHD/MIF proteins play important roles not only in plant growth and development, but also in response to environmental stresses, including drought and pathogen attack. Here we review recent advances relative to ZHD/MIF functions in multiple species, to provide new insights into the diverse roles of these transcription factors in plants. Their mechanism of action in relation to their ability to interact with other proteins and DNA is also discussed. We then propose directions for future studies to understand better their important roles and pinpoint strategies for potential applications in crop improvement.
锌指-同源结构域（ZHD）蛋白家族是一类植物特异性的转录因子家族，包含两个保守基序：一个非典型的 C5H3 锌指结构域（ZF）和一个 DNA 结合同源结构域（HD）。MINI ZINC FINGER（MIF）蛋白属于这个家族，但可能是通过失去 HD 从 ZHD 衍生而来。关于 ZHD 和 MIF 蛋白功能的信息很少。然而，不同的研究表明，ZHD/MIF 蛋白不仅在植物生长和发育中发挥重要作用，而且在应对环境胁迫（包括干旱和病原体攻击）方面也发挥重要作用。在这里，我们回顾了多个物种中 ZHD/MIF 功能的最新进展，为这些转录因子在植物中的多种作用提供了新的见解。还讨论了它们与其他蛋白质和 DNA 相互作用的作用机制。然后，我们提出了未来研究的方向，以更好地理解它们的重要作用，并确定在作物改良中潜在应用的策略。
