In the process of plant reproductive development, Teosinte BRANCHED1/Cycloidea/Proliferating Cell Factor 1 (TCP1) is an important transcription factor belonging to the TCP family. TCP family members all have a highly conserved TCP binding domain (TCP domain), which can bind to specific DNA sequences to regulate gene expression. TCP1 plays multiple functions in plant growth and development, mainly involved in cell cycle regulation, organ development and the formation of reproductive organs.
TCP proteins function by recruiting other factors and regulating different hormone pathways, and are involved in regulating many growth and developmental processes in the plant life cycle, such as germination, photomorphogenesis, thermomorphogenesis, leaf development, flowering, floral organ development, branch outgrowth, pollen development, circadian rhythm, cell cycle regulation, defense against pathogens and senescence.
Related Product
TCP Transcription Factors Are Involved in Plant Growth
Regulate Cell Proliferation and Differentiation
TCP1, TCP14, and TCP15 promote cell division and affect the size of plant organs. They promote cell division cycle by regulating cell cycle genes (such as CYCLINs).
Control Leaf Development
TCP4 controls leaf size and morphology by regulating leaf margin development. TCP3 and TCP10 participate in leaf senescence and affect chlorophyll degradation. Affect flower development and symmetry. CYC and DICH (DICHOTOMA) control the development of bilaterally symmetrical flowers.
Regulate Lateral Branch Development
TB1 (maize) and BRC1 (Arabidopsis) inhibit lateral branch growth and affect branching pattern. They regulate plant branching by interacting with auxin and strigolactone signaling pathways.
Regulate Reproductive Growth
TCP1 affects stamen development and promotes pollen maturation. TCP16 participates in pollen mother cell development and ensures normal meiosis.
Interaction with Plant Hormones
TCP transcription factors can regulate multiple hormone signaling pathways such as Auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin (GA), and so on, affecting plant growth and development.
Regulatory Mechanisms of TCP Transcription Factors
TCP proteins form dimers in solution, which is essential for DNA binding. DNA binding preference studies have shown that the consensus binding sequence for class I TCP is GTGGGNCC, while class II TCP prefers the sequence GTGGNCCC. These preferences are determined by a residue (Gly in class I or Asp in class II) located in the N-terminal basic region of the TCP domain.
| Binding to DNA |
TCP binds to specific DNA sequences (GGNCCCAC) to promote or inhibit the transcription of target genes. |
| Protein interaction |
TCP4 and CIN-TCPs jointly regulate leaf morphology. |
| TCP3 interacts with auxin response factor (ARF) to control the auxin signaling pathway. |
| Regulated by environmental signals |
TCP15 is regulated by light signals and affects the expansion of cotyledons. |
| TCP17 is involved in the response to adverse stresses, such as drought and salt stress. |
TCP1 Involved in Plant Growth Research
The TCP domain homodimers adopt a three-site DNA recognition mode, mainly through a pair of short β-strands formed at the dimer interface and two basic flexible loops at the N-terminus of each TCP domain monomer. This DNA binding mechanism explains how a single residue determines the binding preference of the two TCP classes. In addition, the TCP domains show a wide range of specificity for DNA sequences even shorter than the consensus, which further increases the complexity of the regulatory network of TCP transcription factors in plants. TCP proteins play a role in regulating many growth and developmental processes in the plant life cycle by recruiting other factors and regulating different hormone pathways.
Crop improvement: Regulating the TCP gene can optimize the number of branches of corn, wheat, and rice and increase yield.
Horticulture breeding: By regulating the CYC/TCP gene, flower shape and flower symmetry (such as orchids and chrysanthemums) can be improved.
Resistance research: TCP is involved in plant disease resistance and stress resistance and can be used to improve the environmental adaptability of crops.
TCP1 Is Important for Promoting Plant Growth
TCP1 is a key transcription factor in plant reproductive development. It ensures normal reproduction and reproduction of plants by regulating floral organ formation, promoting pollen and ovule development, interacting with hormone signals, affecting seed development and flowering time. TCP is a unique and novel family of transcription factors with a unique DNA recognition and binding mechanism. TCP domain homodimers adopt a three-site DNA recognition mode, mainly through a pair of short β chains formed at the dimer interface and two basic flexible loops at the N-terminus of each TCP domain monomer. TCP proteins play a role by recruiting other factors and regulating different hormone pathways, and are involved in regulating many growth and development processes in the plant life cycle, such as germination, photomorphogenesis, thermomorphogenesis, leaf development, flowering, floral organ development, branch outgrowth, pollen development, circadian rhythm, cell cycle regulation, defense against pathogens and aging. Future research on TCP1 and its regulatory network will help optimize crop breeding, increase yield, and improve plant reproductive adaptability.
References
- Viola, I., et al. TCP transcription factors in plant reproductive development: juggling multiple roles. Biomolecules. 2023, 13(5): 750.
- Carrara, S., et al. TCP genes and the orchestration of plant architecture. Tropical Plant Biology. 2021, 14(1): 1-10.
.
