Plant E2F factors in cell cycle, development and DNA damage response

International audienceDuring the past ten years, emerging data revealed the role of E2F factors in various plant physiology aspects. E2F involvement in cell cycle and plant development was particularly investigated and highlighted some plant specificities, espacially in postembryonic development. A major role of E2F is its transcriptional activity governing specific gene induction throughout the cell cycle and also strong induction of DNA repair genes in response to DNA damage, notably in the context of DNA double strand break (DSB) response. More challenging is the implication of E2F in nuclear foci with gamma-H2AX, a marker of DSB, probably independently of its transcriptional activity, in the DNA damage response