Dual specificity and target gene selection by the MADS domain protein FRUITFULL

How transcription factors of a single family confer different functional specificities in vivo, is an important question in molecular biology. Even more intriguingly, a single transcription factor can regulate context- or tissue-specific target genes to achieve distinct functions. Here we show, using a variety of genome-wide techniques, that gene regulation and DNA binding site selection by the MADS domain protein FRUITFULL (FUL) is tissue-specific. FUL has a dual role in regulating floral transition and fruit development. mRNA profiles of Arabidopsis pistils/siliques and for inflorescence/flower meristem tissues in WT and ful mutants were analyzed for 3 biological replicates.