Abstract
The recent advancements in sequencing technologies and informatic tools promoted a paradigm shift to decipher the hidden biological mysteries and transformed the biological issues into digital data to express both qualitative and quantitative forms. The transcriptomic approach, in particular, has added new dimensions to the versatile essence of plant genomics through the large and deep transcripts generated in the process. This has enabled the mining of super families from the sequenced plants, both model and non-model, understanding their ancestry, diversity, and evolution. The elucidation of the crystal structure of the WRKY proteins and recent advancement in computational prediction through homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulation has provided an insight into the DNA–protein complex formation, stability, and interaction, thereby giving a new dimension in understanding the WRKY regulation. The present review summarizes the functional aspects of the high volume of sequence data of WRKY transcription factors studied from different species, till date. The review focuses on the dynamics of structural classification and lineage in light of the recent information. Additionally, a comparative analysis approach was incorporated to understand the functions of the identified WRKY transcription factors subjected to abiotic (heat, cold, salinity, senescence, dark, wounding, UV, and carbon starvation) stresses as revealed through various sets of studies on different plant species. The review will be instrumental in understanding the events of evolution and the importance of WRKY TFs under the threat of climate change, considering the new scientific evidences to propose a fresh perspective.
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References
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the grant (SERB/SB/SO/PS/90/2013) from the Science and Engineering Research Board, India, for funding. PG acknowledges the University Grant Commission for Senior Research Fellowship and Guru Nanak Dev University for registration; BV acknowledges the University Grant Commission and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research; and RD, SH, and RT acknowledge the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research. The Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector-19, Ghaziabad, U.P., India, is also acknowledged. All the authors acknowledge the director, CSIR-IIIM, for providing all the necessary facilities.
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Goyal, P., Devi, R., Verma, B. et al. WRKY transcription factors: evolution, regulation, and functional diversity in plants. Protoplasma 260, 331–348 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-022-01794-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-022-01794-7