The central role of transcription factors in bridging biotic and abiotic stress responses for plants’ resilience

Abstract

Throughout their life cycle, plants encounter a myriad of challenges arising from both abiotic and biotic stresses, which significantly impact crop yield and nutritional content. In natural ecological settings, plants often experience simultaneous exposure to multiple stresses, prompting intricate crosstalk interactions between different stress types. While current research predominantly addresses individual stress responses, the nuanced interplay among plants facing multiple stresses remains a subject requiring extensive exploration. Plants exposed to one type of stress have demonstrated the capacity to influence their responses to other stressors, indicating the presence of complex stress response networks shaped by their enduring coexistence with diverse environmental pressures. Within these networks, transcription factors emerge as pivotal regulators of stress-responsive genes, positioned as promising candidates for enhancing crop resilience. Notably, certain transcription factors have exhibited the ability to modulate plant tolerance to a spectrum of stresses, suggesting their potential role as convergence points within regulation networks responding to diverse stresses. Extensively studied transcription factors, including NAC, MYB, WRKY, bHLH, and ERF/DREB, are recognized for their crucial involvement in both abiotic and biotic stress responses. Beyond transcription factors, phytohormone signaling pathways governed by abscisic acid, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, ethylene, and ROS are pivotal in orchestrating the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress signaling. This comprehensive review aims to encapsulate the current progress in understanding the intricate crosstalk dynamics underlying plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Furthermore, it delves into the molecular mechanisms orchestrated by transcription factors to navigate the challenges posed by both abiotic and biotic stressors. The review also explores the involvement of transcription factors in regulating phytohormone signaling pathways, providing a holistic perspective on the multifaceted responses of plants to the complexities of their environmental stresses.