MYB transcription factors in plants

Article By:

Dubos, Christian Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique–AgroParisTech, Versailles, France.

Last reviewed:2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB130014

Over the past few decades, significant efforts have been invested to understand how specific facets of plant growth, development, and metabolism are regulated. Such studies have highlighted the importance of the strict regulation of gene expression, and the critical roles played by a certain class of regulatory proteins called transcription factors (TFs). Among these transcriptional regulators, the large and functionally diverse MYB superfamily has been shown to play a preponderant role. The maize COLORED1 (C1) MYB domain protein was the first transcription factor identified in plants and was found to be required for the synthesis of anthocyanin pigments in corn kernels, giving a specific bluish-black color to the grain. Following on from this work, the functions of MYB proteins have been investigated in numerous plant species belonging to different clades: annual dicotyledons (for example, Arabidopsis, petunia, or snapdragon), perennial dicotyledons (for example, apple, grapevine, or poplar), monocotyledons (for example, maize, rice, or wheat), and gymnosperms (for example, loblolly pine or white spruce). These studies have contributed to deciphering the structure, evolution, and specificity of the MYB superfamily. Furthermore, they have also permitted elucidation of the specific biological roles played by numerous MYBs throughout the plant life cycle. Because of this accumulated knowledge, the MYB superfamily is one of the best-characterized classes of transcription factors in plants.

The content above is only an excerpt.