Combinatorial interactions of the LEC1 transcription factor specify diverse developmental programs during soybean seed development

The LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) transcription factor is a central regulator of seed development, because it controls diverse biological programs during seed development, such as embryo morphogenesis, photosynthesis, and seed maturation. To understand how LEC1 regulates different gene sets during development, we explored the possibility that LEC1 acts in combination with other transcription factors. We identified and compared genes that are directly transcriptionally regulated by ABA-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN3 (AREB3), BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER67 (bZIP67), and ABA INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) with those regulated by LEC1. We showed that LEC1 operates with specific sets of transcription factors to regulate different gene sets and, therefore, distinct developmental processes. Thus, LEC1 controls diverse processes through its combinatorial interactions with other transcription factors. DNA binding sites for the transcription factors are closely clustered in genomic regions upstream of target genes, defining cis-regulatory modules that are enriched for DNA sequence motifs that resemble sequences known to be bound by these transcription factors. Moreover, cis-regulatory modules for genes regulated by distinct transcription factor combinations are enriched for different sets of DNA motifs. Expression assays with embryo cells indicate that the enriched DNA motifs are functional cis elements that regulate transcription. Together, the results suggest that combinatorial interactions between LEC1 and other transcription factors are mediated by cis-regulatory modules containing clustered cis elements and by physical interactions that are documented to occur between the transcription factors.