MYB transcription factor: A new weapon for biotic stress tolerance in plants

Abstract

Different types of biotic stresses like microbial attack (e.g. bacterial, viral, fungal infection), herbivore attack (e.g. insects, pests) affect growth and yield of plants. A range of defensive strategies are used by plants to reduce the severity of destructive effects. Several transcription factors play important role in influencing the internal defense system of plants. MYB proteins are the transcription factors which generate diverse stress responses in plants via several interconnected pathways. A conserved DNA-binding domain (i.e. MYB domain) with one to four imperfect amino acid repeats found in most of the MYB proteins, are considered as specialized characteristics of this family. MYB proteins are divided into four different categories based on the number and position of amino acid repeats. Those MYB proteins function in different cellular processes of plants. Activation and deactivation of MYBs with respect to different biotic stresses of plants were documented in previous literatures. Study of the regulatory mechanisms of plant MYB proteins can give useful information regarding the natural resistance of plants against different pathogenic organisms and herbivores. It can also help to develop transgenic resistant varieties of economically important plants as per the observation through some experimental studies. Here, we have summarized the biotic stress responsiveness of MYB proteins and their transcriptional regulation in plant defense system.