Abstract
Transcription factors of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family control important processes in all eukaryotes. In plants, bZIPs are master regulators of many central developmental and physiological processes, including morphogenesis, seed formation, abiotic and biotic stress responses. Modulation of the expression patterns of bZIP genes and changes in their activity often contribute to the activation of various signaling pathways and regulatory networks of different physiological processes. However, most advances in the study of plant bZIP transcription factors are related to their involvement in abiotic stress and development. In contrast, there are few examples of functional research with regard to biotic stress, particularly in the defense against pathogens. In this review, we summarize the recent progress revealing the role of bZIP transcription factors in the biotic stress responses of several plant species, from Arabidopsis to cotton. Moreover, we summarize the interacting partners of bZIP proteins in molecular responses during pathogen attack and the key components of the signal transduction pathways with which they physically interact during plant defense responses. Lastly, we focus on the recent advances regarding research on the functional role of bZIPs in major agricultural cultivars and examine the studies performed in this field.
Highlights
Plants are sessile organisms and, as such, are constantly exposed to stress conditions, including cold, salinity, drought, flood, high temperature, toxic heavy metals, pathogens and herbivores [1].These factors restrict the growth and productivity of many crops
The proteins were grouped according to the classification of Jakoby and collaborators [7], whereby some basic leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins of known function in the defense against pathogens grouped with proteins that have a function in abiotic stress response, such as the SlAREB1 protein
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to biotic stress caused by pathogens is very important, as it facilitates the exploitation of these mechanisms to improve stress tolerance and productivity
Summary
Plants are sessile organisms and, as such, are constantly exposed to stress conditions, including cold, salinity, drought, flood, high temperature, toxic heavy metals, pathogens and herbivores [1]. The family of transcription factors containing a bZIP domain is among the largest families of transcription factors in plants, though these proteins are found in all eukaryotes In plants, these factors regulate genes in response to abiotic stress, seed maturation, flower development and pathogen defense [7]. The proteins were grouped according to the classification of Jakoby and collaborators [7], whereby some bZIP proteins of known function in the defense against pathogens grouped with proteins that have a function in abiotic stress response, such as the SlAREB1 protein This result most likely occurred because the function of these proteins is determined by the location or number of bZIP domains in their structure and by other, not-yet-characterized functional domains.
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