Multifaceted roles and regulatory mechanisms of MYB transcription factors in plant development, secondary metabolism, and stress adaptation: current insights and future prospects

MYB transcription factor family represents one of the largest and most functionally diverse groups of regulatory proteins in plants, playing a crucial role in controlling genes involved in growth, development, and stress responses. MYB proteins are characterized by a conserved N-terminal DNA-binding domain. They are classified based on the number of R repeats, and possess a variable C-terminal region that determines their specific functions. In response to environmental signals, MYB proteins bind to specific DNA elements in target promoters, acting alone or with other regulators to modulate stress-responsive pathways. These factors integrate signaling cascades involving abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), brassinosteroids (BR), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), aiding plant adaptation to adverse conditions. This review explores structural features, classification, and regulatory mechanisms, focusing on their roles in salinity, drought, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, and pathogen defense. Additionally, we highlight the advances and potential of MYB genes as targets for engineering stress-resilient crops through breeding and genetic modification.