Transcription Factor Responses to Abiotic Stress in Plants

Plants encounter a myriad of abiotic stresses—including drought, salinity, flooding and temperature extremes—that threaten agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. To survive these challenges, plants employ intricate gene regulatory networks centred on transcription factors, which sense environmental cues and reprogramme gene expression. Key families such as AP2/ERF, bZIP, MYB, NAC and trihelix coordinate abscisic acid–dependent and –independent signalling pathways, modulating stomatal development, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant defence and membrane stabilisation. Genome-wide surveys have revealed extensive expansion and subfunctionalisation of stress-responsive transcription factors across angiosperm lineages, while functional assays confirm their roles in enhancing tolerance by fine-tuning hormone transport, signal transduction and downstream effector genes. Insights from model and crop species are guiding the development of resilient cultivars through biotechnological and breeding strategies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Foundational genome-wide studies in Populus trichocarpa and Brassica rapa have mapped the full complement of trihelix transcription factors, delineating five major clades with conserved DNA-binding motifs. Phylogenetic analyses highlighted gene duplication events and preferential retention of SIP1-subfamily members during angiosperm evolution. Promoter surveys uncovered stress- and hormone-related cis-elements, and tissue-specific expression profiling under drought, salinity and temperature treatments identified candidate regulators. These investigations established a robust evolutionary framework and revealed key transcriptional modules that orchestrate abiotic stress adaptation, offering templates for cross-species functional validation.

Transcription Factor Responses to Abiotic Stress in Plants publication trend

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

Technical terms

Transcription factor: A protein that recognises specific DNA sequences in gene promoters to regulate transcription.

Abiotic stress: Environmental pressures (such as drought, salinity or temperature extremes) that adversely affect plant growth.

Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone central to water-deficit and stress signalling pathways.

Cis-element: A short, conserved DNA motif in promoters that binds transcription factors.

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs): Genes showing statistically significant changes in expression levels between conditions.

References

1. Transcriptomic Profiling Highlights the ABA Response Role of BnSIP1-1 in Brassica napus. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. Genome-wide characterization and identification of Trihelix transcription factors and expression profiling in response to abiotic stresses in Chinese Willow (Salix matsudana Koidz). Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
3. Comprehensive analysis of trihelix genes and their expression under biotic and abiotic stresses in Populus trichocarpa. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Genome-wide Analysis and Expression Divergence of the Trihelix family in Brassica Rapa: Insight into the Evolutionary Patterns in Plants. Scientific Reports (2017).