Molecular Mechanisms of NF-Y Transcription Factors in Horticultural Plant Development and Stress Responses: Recent Advances

Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved regulators that bind the CCAAT box, playing central roles in horticultural plant growth and adaptation. This review summarizes recent progress on NF-Ys in horticultural plants, focusing on their molecular mechanisms in development and stress responses. For development, NF-Ys mediate phase transition, flowering regulation, embryogenesis, and organ development by integrating endogenous signals (gibberellic acid, GA; abscisic acid, ABA) and regulating downstream genes. For stress responses, they enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses (drought, salt, extreme temperatures) via regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, ABA biosynthesis, and stress networks, and mediate biotic stress resistance (e.g., pathogen infection) by activating defense pathways. This review also briefly covers species-specific genomic features (e.g., duplication-driven expansion) and structural traits (conserved core domains, variable termini) underpinning NF-Y specialization. Finally, it highlights key knowledge gaps (e.g., incomplete regulatory networks, limited translational application) and proposes future directions: deciphering NF-Y crosstalk, exploring combined stress responses, accelerating functional validation of uncharacterized NF-Y genes, and translating research into horticultural breeding. This work provides a holistic reference for understanding NF-Y function and improving horticultural plant yield, quality, and stress resilience.