Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors

Abstract The Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) family of transcription factors are the central mediators of auxin-triggered transcriptional regulation. Functionally different classes of extant ARFs operate as antagonistic auxin-dependent and -independent regulators. While part of the evolutionary trajec...

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Main Authors: Jorge Hernández-García, Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco, Juriaan Rienstra, Keita Tanaka, Martijn de Roij, Melissa Dipp-Álvarez, Alejandra Freire-Ríos, Isidro Crespo, Roeland Boer, Willy A. M. van den Berg, Simon Lindhoud, Dolf Weijers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55278-8
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author Jorge Hernández-García
Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco
Juriaan Rienstra
Keita Tanaka
Martijn de Roij
Melissa Dipp-Álvarez
Alejandra Freire-Ríos
Isidro Crespo
Roeland Boer
Willy A. M. van den Berg
Simon Lindhoud
Dolf Weijers
author_facet Jorge Hernández-García
Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco
Juriaan Rienstra
Keita Tanaka
Martijn de Roij
Melissa Dipp-Álvarez
Alejandra Freire-Ríos
Isidro Crespo
Roeland Boer
Willy A. M. van den Berg
Simon Lindhoud
Dolf Weijers
author_sort Jorge Hernández-García
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) family of transcription factors are the central mediators of auxin-triggered transcriptional regulation. Functionally different classes of extant ARFs operate as antagonistic auxin-dependent and -independent regulators. While part of the evolutionary trajectory to the present auxin response functions has been reconstructed, it is unclear how ARFs emerged, and how early diversification led to functionally different proteins. Here, we use in silico and in vivo analyses to revisit the molecular events that led to the origin and subsequent evolution of the ARFs. We reveal the shared origin of ARFs from preexisting domains, uncovering a protein fold homologous to the ARF DNA-binding fold in a conserved eukaryotic chromatin regulator. Building on this, we reconstruct the complete evolutionary history of ARFs, including the divergence events leading to the appearance of the ARF classes and defining the main molecular targets for their functional diversification. We derive a complete evolutionary trajectory that led to the emergence of the nuclear auxin signalling pathway.
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spelling doaj-art-da834b32010f4448a1a95a232cc9317d2025-08-20T03:43:11ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-12-0115111610.1038/s41467-024-55278-8Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response FactorsJorge Hernández-García0Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco1Juriaan Rienstra2Keita Tanaka3Martijn de Roij4Melissa Dipp-Álvarez5Alejandra Freire-Ríos6Isidro Crespo7Roeland Boer8Willy A. M. van den Berg9Simon Lindhoud10Dolf Weijers11Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Experiments Division, ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, Carrer de la Llum 2–26Experiments Division, ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, Carrer de la Llum 2–26Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4Abstract The Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) family of transcription factors are the central mediators of auxin-triggered transcriptional regulation. Functionally different classes of extant ARFs operate as antagonistic auxin-dependent and -independent regulators. While part of the evolutionary trajectory to the present auxin response functions has been reconstructed, it is unclear how ARFs emerged, and how early diversification led to functionally different proteins. Here, we use in silico and in vivo analyses to revisit the molecular events that led to the origin and subsequent evolution of the ARFs. We reveal the shared origin of ARFs from preexisting domains, uncovering a protein fold homologous to the ARF DNA-binding fold in a conserved eukaryotic chromatin regulator. Building on this, we reconstruct the complete evolutionary history of ARFs, including the divergence events leading to the appearance of the ARF classes and defining the main molecular targets for their functional diversification. We derive a complete evolutionary trajectory that led to the emergence of the nuclear auxin signalling pathway.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55278-8
spellingShingle Jorge Hernández-García
Vanessa Polet Carrillo-Carrasco
Juriaan Rienstra
Keita Tanaka
Martijn de Roij
Melissa Dipp-Álvarez
Alejandra Freire-Ríos
Isidro Crespo
Roeland Boer
Willy A. M. van den Berg
Simon Lindhoud
Dolf Weijers
Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
Nature Communications
title Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
title_full Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
title_fullStr Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
title_full_unstemmed Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
title_short Evolutionary origins and functional diversification of Auxin Response Factors
title_sort evolutionary origins and functional diversification of auxin response factors
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55278-8
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