Roles of transcription factors in mediating abiotic stress responses in cereals

Abstract

Cereals are staple crops for the majority of the global population, making their sustained productivity essential for food security. However, abiotic stresses significantly threaten their growth and overall yield by disrupting essential physiological, cellular, and biochemical processes. Enhancing stress resilience in cereals is therefore a critical objective for agricultural improvement under changing climatic conditions. A fundamental step toward this goal involves understanding the roles of transcription factors (TFs), which are primary regulators of changes in gene expression in response to stresses. TFs regulate complex signaling networks that enable plants to adjust their biochemical and physiological functions under abiotic stress conditions. These include enhancing antioxidant defense systems by modulating the biosynthesis of ROS-scavenging enzymes, induction of osmoprotectants, maintenance of ion homeostasis, maintenance of cellular integrity through membrane stabilization, modulating stomatal function, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and others. TFs are also an indispensable part of phytohormone-mediated abiotic stress response pathways. Some of the major TF families involved in abiotic stress response pathways include bZIP, MYB, WRKY, NAC, DREB/CBF, AP2/ERF, and Heat Shock Factor (HSF). This review covers the current understanding of major TFs implicated in regulating plants’ responses to key abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heat, cold, hypoxia, and combined stress, with a specific focus on major cereal crops. By merging insights into TF-mediated regulatory mechanisms across different abiotic stress contexts, this review offers a conceptual framework to inform future research aimed at enhancing resilience to abiotic stress in cereal crops.