NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y: still complex after all these years?

Abstract

The NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y (NF-Y) families of transcription factors are important regulators of plant development and physiology. Though NF-Y regulatory roles have recently been suggested for numerous aspects of plant biology, their roles in flowering time, early seedling development, stress responses, hormone signaling, and nodulation are the best characterized. The past few years have also seen significant advances in our understanding of the mechanistic function of the NF-Y, and as such, increasingly complex and interesting questions are now more approachable. This review will primarily focus on these developmental, physiological, and mechanistic roles of the NF-Y in recent research.