An Overview on MADS Box Members in Plants: A Meta-Review

Area of Science:

• Plant Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• MADS box genes are primarily known for roles in flowering and fruit development.
• Emerging evidence suggests type II MADS box genes have more extensive functions than previously understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the cross-trait and multifactor associations of MADS box gene members.
• To assess the pleiotropic potentials of MADS box genes across different plant species.

Main Methods:

• A systematic approach using a manually curated local reference database.
• Screening for co-occurrence of terms within reference titles/abstracts (threshold of three hits).

Main Results:

• The approach successfully retrieved multifaceted information on MADS box gene members.
• Arabidopsis, tomato, apple, and rice were identified as key model plants for MADS box research.
• FLC, SVP, and SOC1 were highlighted for their significant pleiotropic potential in plant growth and development.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach provides a comprehensive overview of MADS box gene functions, mitigating biases from author expertise or literature volume.
• MADS box genes play diverse roles in plant organ development and trait regulation.
• FLC, SVP, and SOC1 exhibit substantial pleiotropic potential, impacting multiple aspects of plant life cycles.