From milliseconds to lifetimes: tracking the dynamic behavior of transcription factors in gene networks

•Regulatory mechanisms of plant gene networks.•Dynamic TF–target interactions.

Modeling dynamic gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is a new frontier in systems biology. It has special implications for plants, whose survival requires rapid deployment of GRNs in response to environmental changes. However, capturing and dissecting transient interactions of transcription factors (TFs) and their targets in GRNs remains a considerable experimental challenge. Here we review recent progress in understanding GRNs as a function of time and discuss the relevance of these findings in plants to studies in other eukaryotes. We cover progress in profiling and modeling time-course transcriptome changes across plant species and the insights they have provided into the regulatory mechanisms underlying these temporal transcriptional responses, with a focus on the dynamic behavior of TFs. Lastly, we review state-of-the-art techniques to monitor the single-molecule dynamics of TFs in vivo. Together, these advances have helped develop new models for dynamic transcriptional control with relevance across eukaryotes.