The MADS domain binds to DNA sequences of high similarity to the motif CC[A/T]6GG termed the CArG-box.
[4][5][6][7] There is evidence that the MADS domain evolved from a sequence stretch of a type II topoisomerase in a common ancestor of all extant eukaryotes.
The MADS-box gene family got its name later as an acronym referring to the four founding members,[1] ignoring ARG80: In A. thaliana, A. majus, and Zea mays this motif is involved in floral development.
Early study in these model angiosperms was the beginning of research into the molecular evolution of floral structure in general, as well as their role in nonflowering plants.
For example, he and his coworkers have used these genes to show that the order Gnetales is more closely related to the conifers than to the flowering plants.
In animals, MADS-box genes are involved in muscle development and cell proliferation and differentiation.
[23] The carboxyl terminal (C) domain is highly variable and is involved in transcriptional activation and assemblage of heterodimers and multimeric protein complexes.