Functional Divergence in Orthologous Transcription Factors: Insights from AtCBF2/3/1 and OsDREB1C.

ABSTRACT: Despite traditional beliefs of orthologous genes maintaining similar functions across species, growing evidence points to their potential for functional divergence. C-repeat binding factors/dehydration-responsive element binding protein 1s (CBFs/DREB1s) are critical in cold acclimation, with their overexpression enhancing stress tolerance but often constraining plant growth. In contrast, a recent study unveiled a distinctive role of rice OsDREB1C in elevating nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), photosynthesis, and grain yield, implying functional divergence within the CBF/DREB1 orthologs across species. Here, we delve into divergent molecular mechanisms of OsDREB1C and AtCBF2/3/1 by exploring their evolutionary trajectories across rice and Arabidopsis genomes, regulatomes, and transcriptomes. E

SUBMITTER: Deng D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11119335 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature