Dancing molecules: group A bZIPs and PEBPs at the heart of plant development and stress responses

Group A basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors play critical roles in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and plant development. In Arabidopsis thaliana, these factors are defined by a highly conserved core bZIP domain, and four conserved domains throughout their length: three at the N-terminus (C1-C3) and a phosphorylatable C-terminal SAP motif located at the C4 domain. Initially, members such as ABI5 and ABFs were studied for their roles in ABA signaling during seed germination or stress responses. Later, a sub-clade of group A bZIPs, including FD, was found to play important roles in floral induction by interacting with the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) at the shoot apical meristem. Recent research has expanded our understanding of these transcription factors by identifying intriguing parallels between those involved in ABA signaling and those promoting floral induction, and revealing dynamic interactions with FT and other phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs) such as TERMINAL FLOWER 1. Studies in crop plants and non-model species demonstrate broader roles, functions, and molecular targets of group A bZIPs. This review highlights common features of group A bZIPs and their post-translational regulation in enabling the activation of gene regulatory networks with important functions in plant development and stress responses.