The role of NAC genes in response to biotic stresses in plants

The growth and fruit quality of major food crops worldwide are hindered by biotic stress, making it imperative to develop broad-spectrum-tolerant varieties to meet rising food demands. With the increasing global population and changing environmental conditions, the need for stress-tolerant crops is becoming increasingly pressing. NAC transcription factors, one of the largest families of TFs in plants, play a critical role in regulating growth and stress response. Recent studies have shown that genetically engineering NAC TFs can improve stress tolerance in crops. This mini-review provides an overview of current research on the function of NAC TFs in response to biotic stress in various plant species and highlights the potential for using specific NAC genes to enhance biotic stress tolerance. The issues and challenges as well as the prospective directions for NAC gene and biotic stress in plant biotechnology research will also be discussed.