InterPro domain: IPR035209

This domain is found in various plant development proteins which are homologues of floricaula (FLO) and Leafy (LFY) proteins which are floral meristem identity proteins. Mutations in the sequences of these proteins affect flower and leaf development. LFY is a plant-specific transcription factor (TF) essential for flower development. It is one of the few master regulators of flower development, as it integrates environmental and endogenous signals to orchestrate the whole floral network. Transcription factors such as LFY recognize short DNA motifs primarily through their DNA-binding domain. Upon binding to short stretches of DNA called cis-elements or TF binding sites (TFBS), they regulate gene expression.

This entry represents the DNA binding domain found in C-terminal of LFY proteins in plants. Structure-function studies have demonstrated that LFY binds semi-palindromic 19-bp DNA elements through its highly conserved C-terminal DBD, a unique helix-turn-helix fold that by itself dimerizes on DNA [ 1 ].

1. A SAM oligomerization domain shapes the genomic binding landscape of the LEAFY transcription factor. Nat Commun 7, 11222