NAC Transcription Factors in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses

NAC transcription factors constitute one of the largest families of plant-specific regulators, characterised by a conserved N-terminal NAC domain for DNA binding and a variable C-terminal region for protein–protein interactions. These factors orchestrate gene expression programmes in response to drought, salinity, heat, cold and other non-living stressors by modulating abscisic acid signalling, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, ion transport and cell-wall remodelling. Many NAC proteins undergo stress-induced nuclear translocation and act as transcriptional activators or repressors to adjust physiological and developmental processes such as stomatal aperture, root architecture and osmoprotectant synthesis. Recent advances have revealed how individual NAC factors integrate multiple signals at transcriptional and post-translational levels, forming regulatory networks that underlie crop resilience. The manipulation of NAC gene expression has yielded transgenic lines with enhanced tolerance and yield stability under adverse field conditions. Harnessing NAC factors thus represents a promising strategy to improve food security in the face of climate variability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Stress-induced nuclear translocation of a hub NAC regulator in rice has been shown to integrate drought and heat tolerance through the activation of genes involved in water transport, reactive oxygen species homeostasis and alternative splicing only under stress conditions. Functional studies reveal that dephosphorylation events trigger its nuclear import and subsequent binding to diverse stress-responsive promoters, illustrating a fine-tuned multi-layer regulatory mechanism. Another investigation into a rice NAC factor operating at the junction of abscisic acid signalling and osmotic stress uncovered its dual role in modulating stress-related gene networks, where RNA interference lines exhibited enhanced tolerance and yield preservation under drought and salinity, highlighting this factor as a key node between hormonal and environmental signals.

NAC Transcription Factors in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nac transcription factors in plant abiotic stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Transcription factor: A protein that binds specific DNA sequences to regulate gene transcription.

NAC domain: A conserved N-terminal region in plant transcription factors responsible for DNA binding.

Abiotic stress: Environmental stress from non-living factors such as drought, salinity, heat or cold.

Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone central to the regulation of stress responses and development.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive oxygen molecules that function in stress signalling and can cause cellular damage.

Nuclear translocation: The movement of a protein from the cytoplasm into the nucleus to influence gene expression.

References

1. Stress-induced nuclear translocation of ONAC023 improves drought and heat tolerance through multiple processes in rice. Nature Communications (2024).
2. CmoNAC1 in pumpkin rootstocks improves salt tolerance of grafted cucumbers by binding to the promoters of CmoRBOHD1, CmoNCED6, CmoAKT1;2 and CmoHKT1;1 to regulate H2O2, ABA signaling and K+/Na+ homeostasis. Horticulture Research (2023).
3. NAC transcription factors in plant multiple abiotic stress responses: progress and prospects. Frontiers in Plant Science (2015).
4. Overexpression of a Stress-Responsive NAC Transcription Factor Gene ONAC022 Improves Drought and Salt Tolerance in Rice. Frontiers in Plant Science (2016).
5. Root-Specific Expression of OsNAC10 Improves Drought Tolerance and Grain Yield in Rice under Field Drought Conditions. Plant Physiology (2010).