Role of plant mediator complex in stress response

Abstract

Class II gene loci of eukaryotes are transcribed by RNA Polymerase II, which functions in coordination with several other proteins like transcription factors, general transcription factors, and cofactors. Recently, Mediator complex, a multi-subunit, megadalton size protein complex has gained lots of attention as an important component of RNA pol II transcriptional machinery because of its essentiality in the regulation of most of the class II genes. Like yeast and other metazoans, plants also possess the Mediator complex across the kingdom, and its isolation and subunit analyses have been reported from the model plant, Arabidopsis. Recent times have experienced a flurry of scientific papers containing the functional information of individual Mediator subunits in plants, although many were reported earlier without consideration of their association with the Mediator complex. Among its diverse functional aspects, several reports have established the Mediator complex as an important integrative hub of different biotic and abiotic stress signaling pathways, which have been discussed in this chapter from the functional genomics perspectives. Although reports are emerging in support of its inclusion as a component of the basic transcriptional machinery, the gene selective roles of the individual Mediator subunits are proven and indisputably accepted.