MYB transcription factors, active players in abiotic stress signaling

The MYB family of proteins is a group of large, functionally diverse transcription factors, and widely present in all eukaryotes. The MYB family of proteins in plants is characterized by the presence of a conserved MYB DNA-binding domain that typically contains one to four imperfect repeats. In the past decades, extensive information has been accumulated on the roles of these proteins in regulating important processes in plants, including development, metabolism, and responses to environmental stresses. In this review, we summarize the MYB proteins that play crucial roles in plant responses to diverse abiotic stresses, and highlight the possible mechanisms underlying how MYB proteins are regulated at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional and protein levels, and how they regulate downstream target gene networks in association with abiotic stresses. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.