Plants face various stresses during the growth and development processes. The specific transcription factors bind to the cis-acting elements upstream of the stress resistance genes, specifically regulating the expression of the gene in plants and increasing the adaptability of plants to environmental stress. The transcription factor-mediated gene expression regulatory networks play an important role in plant stress response pathways. MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) transcription factor is one of the largest members of the transcription factor family in plants. It participates and has a great influence on all aspects of plant growth and development. It plays an important role in plant secondary metabolic regulation, hormone and environmental factor responses, cell differentiation, organ morphogenesis, and cell cycle regulation. This review mainly introduces the characteristics, structure, and classification of MYB transcription factors, as well as the abiotic stress resistance to drought, salt, temperature, and other functions in breeding, and provides a reference for the research and utilization of transcription factors in the future.
Keywords: MYB transcription factor; breeding; drought stress; salt stress; temperature stress.