GRAS Transcription Factor Family
Members of the GRAS gene family encode transcriptional regulators that have diverse functions in
plant growth and development such as gibberellin signal transduction, root radial patterning,
axillary meristem formation, phytochrome A signal transduction, and gametogenesis.
Sequence analysis of the products of the GRAS (GAI, RGA, SCR) gene family indicates that they
share a variable N-terminus and a highly conserved C-terminus that contains five recognizable
motifs. Proteins in the GRAS family are transcription factors that seem to be involved in
development and other processes. Mutation of the SCARECROW (SCR) gene results in a radial
pattern defect, loss of a ground tissue layer, in the root. The PAT1 protein is involved in
phytochrome A signal transduction.
GRAS proteins contain a conserved region of about 350 amino acids that can be divided in 5
motifs, found in the following order: leucine heptad repeat I, the VHIID motif, leucine heptad
repeat II, the PFYRE motif and the SAW motif. Plant specific GRAS proteins have parallels in
their motif structure to the animal Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT)
family of proteins which suggests also some parallels in their functions.
99 predicted GRAS TF peptide,
CDS, and cDNA sequences;
blast HSP, and multiple sequence alignment in
Soy - TFKB.
GRAS domain peptide sequences with alignment
and phylogeny tree.
35 GRAS protein
and DNA
sequences with
annotations for soybean in PlantTFDB. Most are partial sequences.
Last updated by Dr. Jeff Chen
on June 6, 2009.
