Transcriptional mechanisms regulating gene expression and determining cell fates in plant development

Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that control transcriptional regulators, target genes, and their interactions provide new insights into general development processes throughout the life cycle of the plant. Although different molecular mechanisms that regulate plant growth and development have been identified, detailed transcriptional mechanisms that control gene expression, modulate developmental programmes, and determine cell fates in plant development are not fully understood. To increase our understanding on transcriptional mechanisms regulating diverse processes in plant development, we have reviewed the regulation of transcription during the process of development including transcriptional mechanisms regulating root, stem, leaf, flower, seed, embryo, endosperm, ovule, fruit, and chloroplast development. We have summarized the interaction, expression, transport, signaling events of transcriptional regulators and their targets in a number of model plants and highlighted the involvement of hormones and microRNAs in plant development. Understanding the precise transcriptional mechanisms regulating gene expression in plant development will be valuable for plant molecular breeding.