Climate change-induced environmental stress significantly affects crop yield and quality. In response to environmental stressors, plants use defence mechanisms and growth suppression, creating a resource trade-off between the stress response and development. Although stress-responsive genes have been widely engineered to enhance crop stress tolerance, there is still limited understanding of the interplay between stress signalling and plant growth, a research topic that can provide promising targets for crop genetic improvement. This review focuses on Cytokinin Response Factors (CRFs) transcription factor’s role in the balance between abiotic stress adaptation and sustained growth. CRFs, known for their involvement in cytokinin signalling and abiotic stress responses, emerge as potential targets for delaying senescence and mitigating yield penalties under abiotic stress conditions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulated by CRFs paves the way for decoupling stress responses from growth inhibition, thus allowing the development of crops that can adapt to abiotic stress without compromising development. This review highlights the importance of unravelling CRF-mediated pathways to address the growing need for resilient crops in the face of evolving climatic conditions.

中文翻译：

---

CRF转录因子在非生物胁迫反应和植物发育过程之间的权衡

气候变化引起的环境胁迫显着影响作物产量和质量。为了应对环境压力，植物使用防御机制和生长抑制，在压力响应和发育之间建立资源权衡。尽管胁迫响应基因已被广泛改造以增强作物的胁迫耐受性，但对胁迫信号与植物生长之间相互作用的了解仍然有限，这一研究课题可以为作物遗传改良提供有希望的目标。本综述重点关注细胞分裂素反应因子 (CRF) 转录因子在非生物胁迫适应和持续生长之间平衡中的作用。 CRFs以其参与细胞分裂素信号传导和非生物胁迫反应而闻名，成为在非生物胁迫条件下延缓衰老和减轻产量损失的潜在靶标。了解CRF调节的分子机制为将应激反应与生长抑制解耦铺平了道路，从而使作物能够在不影响发育的情况下适应非生物应激。这篇综述强调了阐明 CRF 介导的途径的重要性，以解决面对不断变化的气候条件对抗逆作物日益增长的需求。