Gene transcription is a complex process regulated by many proteins and multiprotein complexes. The Mediator complex is one of the latter and is built up from around 30 MED proteins, which are divided into modules. The complex was discovered in 1994 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The biochemical identification in plants came in 2007, when the complex was isolated from thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). Mediator regulates transcription via interactions with RNA polymerase II and specific transcription factors. It has been shown the Mediator complex activity affects plant development, their immunity, response to abiotic stress and many other processes. This is achieved through transcriptome reprogramming. The focus of this work is a review of the aforementioned functions of the complex and the expression of its subunits. I also touch upon the features of the plant Mediator complex.
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