Functional Aspects of GRAS Family Proteins

The GRAS protein family has been analyzed in several plant species and our knowledge of their biological role has increased steadily since they were first identified in 1996. GRAS proteins play important roles in many developmental processes. GRAS proteins involved in root development, meristem maintenance, and colonization of roots with fungi or bacteria have been especially well studied over the years. Furthermore, GRAS proteins play a role in several signaling pathways such as hormones, light, and stress. Changes in transcriptional activity can often be attributed to GRAS proteins and although their direct role as transcription factors is not really clear, they associate with several classes of transcription factors and chromatin remodeling factors suggesting that they are important regulators of transcription.