@article {742, title = {Establishment of Expression in the SHORTROOT-SCARECROW Transcriptional Cascade through Opposing Activities of Both Activators and Repressors}, journal = {Dev Cell}, volume = {39}, year = {2016}, month = {12/2016}, pages = {585-596}, abstract = {

Tissue-specific gene expression is often thought to arise from spatially restricted transcriptional cascades. However, it is unclear how expression is established at the top of these cascades in the absence of pre-existing specificity. We generated a transcriptional network to explore how transcription factor expression is established in the Arabidopsis thaliana root ground tissue. Regulators of the SHORTROOT-SCARECROW transcriptional cascade were validated in planta. At the top of this cascade, we identified both activators and repressors of SHORTROOT. The aggregate spatial expression of these regulators is not sufficient to predict transcriptional specificity. Instead, modeling, transcriptional reporters, and synthetic promoters support a mechanism whereby expression at the top of the SHORTROOT-SCARECROW cascade is established through opposing activities of activators and repressors.

}, keywords = {Arabidopsis Proteins/ genetics/ metabolism, Arabidopsis/ genetics/growth \& development/ metabolism, Computer Simulation, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Gene Regulatory Networks, Genes, Plant, Genes, Reporter, Genes, Synthetic, Models, Genetic, Plant Roots/cytology/metabolism, Plants, Genetically Modified, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Repressor Proteins/genetics/metabolism, Trans-Activators/genetics/metabolism, Transcription Factors/ genetics/ metabolism, Two-Hybrid System Techniques}, isbn = {1878-1551 (Electronic)1534-5807 (Linking)}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.09.031}, author = {Sparks, E. E. and Drapek, C. and Gaudinier, A. and Li, S. and Ansariola, M. and Shen, N. and Hennacy, J. H. and Zhang, J. and Turco, G. and Petricka, J. J. and Foret, J. and Hartemink, A. J. and Gordan, R. and Megraw, M. and Brady, S. M. and Benfey, P. N.} } @article {319, title = {Paired-end analysis of transcription start sites in Arabidopsis reveals plant-specific promoter signatures.}, journal = {Plant Cell}, volume = {26}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jul}, pages = {2746-60}, abstract = {

Understanding plant gene promoter architecture has long been a challenge due to the lack of relevant large-scale data sets and analysis methods. Here, we present a publicly available, large-scale transcription start site (TSS) data set in plants using a high-resolution method for analysis of 5\&$\#$39; ends of mRNA transcripts. Our data set is produced using the paired-end analysis of transcription start sites (PEAT) protocol, providing millions of TSS locations from wild-type Columbia-0 Arabidopsis thaliana whole root samples. Using this data set, we grouped TSS reads into \"TSS tag clusters\" and categorized clusters into three spatial initiation patterns: narrow peak, broad with peak, and weak peak. We then designed a machine learning model that predicts the presence of TSS tag clusters with outstanding sensitivity and specificity for all three initiation patterns. We used this model to analyze the transcription factor binding site content of promoters exhibiting these initiation patterns. In contrast to the canonical notions of TATA-containing and more broad \"TATA-less\" promoters, the model shows that, in plants, the vast majority of transcription start sites are TATA free and are defined by a large compendium of known DNA sequence binding elements. We present results on the usage of these elements and provide our Plant PEAT Peaks (3PEAT) model that predicts the presence of TSSs directly from sequence.

[Link to Additional Data and Supplementary Materials]

}, keywords = {Arabidopsis, Arabidopsis Proteins, Binding Sites, Cluster Analysis, DNA, Plant, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Genome, Plant, Models, Genetic, Nucleotide Motifs, Plant Roots, Promoter Regions, Genetic, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Plant, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Species Specificity, TATA Box, Transcription Factors, Transcription Initiation Site}, issn = {1532-298X}, doi = {10.1105/tpc.114.125617}, author = {Morton, Taj and Petricka, Jalean and Corcoran, David L and Li, Song and Winter, Cara M and Carda, Alexa and Benfey, Philip N and Ohler, Uwe and Megraw, Molly} }