Plant & Animal Genome V Conference
Town & Country Hotel, San Diego, CA, January 12-16, 1997.
PAG-V: W55 - SYSTEMATICS OF PLANT GENES EFFECTING GENE EXPRESSION
W55
SYSTEMATICS OF PLANT GENES EFFECTING GENE EXPRESSION
LONSDALE, DAVID
John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH
Using as a basis known or putative plant transcription factors and `DNA-binding' proteins DNA and protein homology searches were performed against the EMBL and GenBank sequence databases. This led to the identification of over 600 different coding sequences. These sequences were grouped based their intrinsic homology and subsequently, where possible, the groups were assigned to one of the four major superclass groups of the Wingender transcription factor classification. It was clearly apparent that there were fewer groups of `transcription ' factors in plants than in animals and that at the present time not all groups could be assigned to one of the four superclasses of transcription factors. It was also apparent that some groups may not be directly involved in transcriptional activation. Clearly however, the groups consisted of homologous and presumably functionally related proteins and therefore this, in itself, provides a basis for developing a nomenclature. An analysis of identified sequences will be presented and the problems associated with developing a unified nomenclature will be discussed.