Dof Transcription Factors as Integrative Regulatory Hubs Linking Carbon–Nitrogen Metabolism, Development, and Environmental Signaling in Plants

Dof (DNA binding with One Finger) transcription factors are a plant-specific regulatory family. This family expanded greatly during land plant evolution. Dof proteins have central roles in networks that control development, metabolism, and stress responses. Early studies linked Dof proteins mainly to carbon and nitrogen metabolism. More recent studies show that Dof proteins have broader roles. They connect light, phytohormones, nutrient status, and environmental stress with downstream transcriptional responses. In many plant systems, Dof proteins take part in regulatory modules that control seed germination, flowering, organ development, source-sink allocation, specialized metabolism, and abiotic stress adaptation. More evidence also shows that Dof proteins do not act alone. They often work as network hubs in transcriptional complexes and multilayer signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the evolutionary diversification, regulatory interactome, and biological functions of Dof transcription factors. We focus especially on their roles in carbon-nitrogen coordination, metabolic specialization, and stress signaling. We propose a unified framework in which Dof proteins act as key nodes that link developmental transitions with metabolic and environmental cues. We also highlight major open questions about target specificity, post-translational regulation, epigenetic regulation, and the use of Dof-centered modules in genome editing and crop improvement. This view places Dof transcription factors as key parts of plant regulatory systems. It also provides a framework for future mechanistic and applied studies.