Nuclear Factor Y Function in Plant Stress Responses

Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) is a highly conserved transcription factor complex in plants that orchestrates gene expression programmes crucial for abiotic stress adaptation. Comprising three subunits—NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC—this heterotrimer binds the ubiquitous CCAAT motif in promoters, modulating networks responsive to drought, salinity, temperature extremes and nutrient limitation. The expansion of NF-Y gene families in higher plants has enabled combinatorial assembly of diverse subunit permutations, allowing tissue-specific and developmental-stage regulation of stress signalling. NF-Y controls stomatal aperture, root architecture and seed germination by integrating abscisic acid and gibberellic acid pathways, often via direct interactions with DELLA proteins or microRNA-mediated control. Downstream transcriptional cascades activate osmoprotectant synthesis, antioxidant enzymes and protective proteins, enhancing plant resilience under adverse conditions. Recent findings show that natural allelic variation in NF-Y subunits underlies intraspecific differences in drought tolerance, offering molecular targets for breeding. By elucidating NF-Y structure–function relationships and hormonal crosstalk, researchers are laying the groundwork for engineering crops with improved water-use efficiency and yield stability in the face of global climate challenges.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have uncovered specific NF-YA variants in Brassica napus that fine-tune drought tolerance by balancing abscisic acid signalling and stomatal closure, highlighting single-nucleotide polymorphisms in CCAAT elements that alter transcriptional networks. Foundational work in Arabidopsis has detailed how NF-YC subunits assemble with DELLA proteins to integrate gibberellic and abscisic acid signals during seed germination, coordinating CCAAT-mediated control of downstream responsive genes. These insights advance our molecular understanding of NF-Y in stress adaptation and identify precise targets for crop improvement.

Nuclear Factor Y Function in Plant Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nuclear factor y function in plant stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y): A trimeric transcription factor composed of NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits that binds the CCAAT motif in gene promoters to regulate transcription.

Heterotrimer: A complex of three different protein subunits whose assembly confers specific DNA-binding and regulatory properties.

CCAAT box: A common promoter element recognised by NF-Y, essential for precise control of gene expression under stress.

Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone pivotal to stress responses, particularly drought and salinity, regulating stomatal closure and gene expression.

Gibberellic acid (GA): A growth-promoting hormone involved in processes such as seed germination, often acting antagonistically to ABA.

DELLA proteins: Repressors of GA signalling that interact with NF-Y subunits to integrate hormonal cues during germination and stress adaptation.

References

1. Natural variation in BnaA9.NF-YA7 contributes to drought tolerance in Brassica napus L. Nature Communications (2024).
2. The NF-YC–RGL2 module integrates GA and ABA signalling to regulate seed germination in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications (2016).
3. Functional and Transcriptome Analysis Reveals an Acclimatization Strategy for Abiotic Stress Tolerance Mediated by Arabidopsis NF-YA Family Members. PLOS ONE (2012).
4. Overexpression of the poplar NF-YB7 transcription factor confers drought tolerance and improves water-use efficiency in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany (2013).
5. Foxtail Millet NF-Y Families: Genome-Wide Survey and Evolution Analyses Identified Two Functional Genes Important in Abiotic Stresses. Frontiers in Plant Science (2015).
6. Interactions and CCAAT-Binding of Arabidopsis thaliana NF-Y Subunits. PLOS ONE (2012).