The Plant Genome: Decoding the Transcriptional Hardwiring

Transcription consists of the retrieval of information stored in the genome into mRNAs by DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RNAPs). The regulation of transcription is controlled through cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that tether regulatory proteins, such as transcription factors (TFs), which act to direct the RNAP to transcribe specific genes with particular temporal and spatial patterns. Here, we provide a plant gene-centred perspective of how the regulatory code is believed to be hardwired and how TFs interpret this code to deliver the appropriate signals to the transcriptional machinery.