Navigating Stress and Development: The Multifaceted Roles of NAC Transcription Factors in Plants
ABSTRACT
NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors constitute one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor families, playing essential roles in diverse biological processes. These include plant development, hormone signaling, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Structurally, NAC proteins are characterized by a highly conserved N-terminal DNA-binding NAC domain and a variable C-terminal domain responsible for transcriptional regulation, contributing to their functional diversity. Recent advances in genomics and transcriptomics have deepened our understanding of their regulatory networks, uncovering their involvement in key pathways such as senescence, secondary wall formation, drought tolerance, and pathogen defense. This review summarizes the molecular structure, functional classification, and regulatory mechanisms of NAC transcription factors, emphasizing their potential for crop improvement through genetic engineering and molecular breeding strategies.
KEYWORDS: NAC transcription factor, Abiotic stress, Biotic stress, Hormone signalling, Plant development
