WRKY Transcription Factors: Molecular Switches to Regulate Drought, Temperature, and Salinity Stresses in Plants

    November 2022 in “ Frontiers in Plant Science ”
    Muneer Ahmed Khoso, Amjad Hussain, Faujiah Nurhasanah Ritonga, Qurban Ali, Muhammed Malook Channa, Rana M. Alshegaihi, Qinglin Meng, Musrat Ali, Wajid Zaman, Rahim Dad, Fen Liu, Hakim Manghwar
    TLDR WRKY transcription factors help plants manage stress and support growth.
    The document reviewed the role of WRKY transcription factors (TFs) as molecular switches in regulating plant responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, and salinity. WRKY TFs were crucial in modulating stress tolerance by altering gene expression and influencing physiological processes like stomatal closure and photosynthesis. Studies showed that overexpression of specific WRKY TFs improved stress tolerance in various plants by enhancing water retention, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and modulating signaling pathways. The findings suggested that WRKY TFs could be potential targets for genetic engineering to enhance crop resilience to environmental stresses, with future research focusing on noncoding RNAs and epigenetic modifications to further understand their regulatory mechanisms.
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