Li Hongwei, Chen Nana, Zhang Hongbin, Xu Delin
Department of Medical Instrumental Analysis, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China.
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 Mar 26;16:1522278. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1522278. eCollection 2025.
Plants synthesize an extensive array of secondary metabolites in response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. These metabolites function not only as defensive compounds but also constitute significant sources of nutrition and pharmaceuticals. However, the mechanisms governing the synthesis of these secondary metabolites have long been a central focus of research and continue to pose significant challenges. Transcription factors (TFs), serving as key regulators of secondary metabolite synthesis in plants, exhibit mechanisms of action that are still not fully understood. This review summarizes the latest research advancements on how plant transcription factors mediate the regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis through various signaling pathways, including light signaling, hormone signaling, MAPK signaling, the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, epigenetic regulation, microbial interactions, and climate change. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating transcription factors is expected to provide new insights into the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites.
植物会响应各种生物和非生物胁迫而合成大量次生代谢产物。这些代谢产物不仅作为防御性化合物发挥作用，也是营养和药物的重要来源。然而，控制这些次生代谢产物合成的机制长期以来一直是研究的核心焦点，并且仍然构成重大挑战。转录因子作为植物次生代谢产物合成的关键调节因子，其作用机制仍未完全明确。本综述总结了关于植物转录因子如何通过各种信号通路介导次生代谢产物生物合成调控的最新研究进展，这些信号通路包括光信号、激素信号、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）信号、泛素 - 蛋白酶体途径、表观遗传调控、微生物相互作用和气候变化。对转录因子调控机制的更深入理解有望为植物次生代谢产物的生物合成提供新的见解。
