Characteristics of NAC transcription factors in Solanaceae crops and their roles in responding to abiotic and biotic stresses

As one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families in plants, the NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) family plays important roles in response pathways to various abiotic and biotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity, low temperature, and pathogen infection. Although, there are a number of reviews on the involvement of NAC TF in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, most of them are focused on the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, and there is a lack of systematic evaluation of specific species. Solanaceae, the world's third most significant cash crop, has been seriously affected by environmental disturbances in recent years in terms of yield and quality, posing a severe threat to global food security. This review focuses on the functional roles of NAC transcription factors in response to external stresses involved in five important Solanaceae crops: tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant and tobacco, and analyzes the affinities between them. It will provide resources for stress-resistant breeding of Solanaceae crops using transgenic technology.