The E2FC-DPB Transcription Factor Controls Cell Division, Endoreplication and Lateral Root Formation in a SCF-Dependent Manner.

Cell division is a highly regulated process that has to be coordinated with cell specification and differentiation for proper development and growth of the plants. Cell cycle regulation is carried out by key proteins that control cell cycle entry, progression and exit. This regulation is controlled at different stages such as gene expression, posttranslational modification of proteins and specific proteolysis. The G(1)/S and the G(2)/M transitions are critical checkpoints of the cell cycle that are controlled, among others, by the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). Different CDK activities, still to be fully identified, impinge on the retinoblastoma (RBR)/E2F/DP pathway as well as on the programmed proteolysis pathway. The specific degradation of proteins through the ubiquitin pathway in plants, highly controlled in time and space, is emerging as a powerful mechanism to regulate the levels and the activity of several proteins, including many cell cycle regulators.