Water scarcity is one of the major causes of poor plant performance and limited
crop yields worldwide and it is the single most common cause of severe food shortage in
developing countries. Several molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal
transduction and stress responses in plants have been elucidated so far. Transcription
factors are major players in water stress signaling. In recent years, different MYB
transcription factors, mainly in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. but also in some crops,
have been characterized for their involvement in drought response. For some of them there
is evidence supporting a specific role in response to water stress, such as the regulation of
stomatal movement, the control of suberin and cuticular waxes synthesis and the regulation
of flower development. Moreover, some of these genes have also been characterized for
their involvement in other abiotic or biotic stresses, an important feature considering that in
nature, plants are often simultaneously subjected to multiple rather than single environmental
perturbations. This review summarizes recent studies highlighting the role of the MYB family
of transcription factors in the adaptive responses to drought stress. The practical application
value of MYBs in crop improvement, such as stress tolerance engineering, is also discussed