LEAFY is a pioneer transcription factor and licenses cell reprogramming to floral fate

Abstract

Pioneer transcription factors access their DNA binding motifs in closed chromatin and often act in cell fate reprogramming. Here, Jin et al. present biochemical evidence for a pioneer factor in plants and show that LFY promotes floral cell fate and locally unlocks chromatin by displacing histone H1 and recruiting SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers.