Molecular Insights into NAC Transcription Factors: Key Regulators of Plant Response to Metal Stress

Abstract Plants are often exposed to environmental constraints and abiotic stresses such as heavy metal(loid)s that can severely impair plant growth, development, and productivity. Metal stress triggers a cascade of molecular, physiological, and biochemical-induced responses, often resulting in cellular damages and growth arrest. To counter this, plants have evolved efficient strategies that either restrict metal uptake or facilitate its detoxification and sequestration within specific cellular compartments. Transcription factors control the activation/regulation of the expression of stress-inducible genes. Of these, NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors emerged as key regulators of plant metal stress response. NACs alleviate oxidative damage by inducing the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). They are also involved…