Plant Stress (Jun 2024)
Exploring the mechanisms of WRKY transcription factors and regulated pathways in response to abiotic stress
Abstract
The environmental conditions encompassing plants exert a significant impact on their appropriate growth and development. It is of utmost importance to investigate the mechanisms and signaling cascades underlying the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress in order to enhance the quality of crops. Plant growth and development processes are significantly impacted by abiotic stresses, which are intricately linked to their surroundings. Plants exhibit prompt genetic and metabolic network responses, mostly through signaling networks involving transcription factors that respond to stress, including WRKY, MYB, bZIP, AP2/EREBP, and NAC. Among these WRKY TFs transcription factors, fulfill a pivotal function in a diverse range of stress responses and developmental mechanisms. WRKY TFs greatly assist plants in coping with abiotic stress. These transcription factors oversee the control of several target gene categories and active involvement in numerous signaling cascades in plants through their interaction with the W-box cis-acting elements located in the promoters of these target genes.This research provides a comprehensive analysis of the signaling networks linked to WRKY TFs and their response mechanism to abiotic stress. In addition, we have explored the state of knowledge on WRKY TFs' effects on plants' response to a range of abiotic stresses, such as drought, salt, high temperatures, and cold. It elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms by which WRKY TFs govern signaling pathways and modulate gene expression, thereby conferring stress tolerance upon plants. Moreover, we have summarized the molecular function of WRKY TFs that are involved in tolerance to biotic stress. WRKY TFs, involved in signaling networks and hormonal routes like SA and JA, aid plants in inducing resistance mechanisms and coordinating defense responses against pathogens and environmental challenges. In order to enhance agricultural sustainability and augment crop resilience towards stress, strategies to manipulate the intricate regulatory networks involving WRKY TFs need to be established.
