Transcription factors in phosphorus utilization: enhancing crop productivity and stress resilience

Transcription factors coordinate phosphorus sensing, transport, remobilization, and stress adaptation, providing actionable molecular targets for breeding crops with higher phosphorus-use efficiency, productivity, and resilience. Phosphorus (P) scarcity in soils limits crop productivity, demanding genotypes that sense and acquire inorganic phosphate (Pi) efficiently and use it prudently. This review synthesizes recent advances on transcription factors (TFs) that coordinate Pi acquisition and phosphorus economy in plants. Central MYB/PHR modules (e.g., PHR1 and homologs) activate phosphate-starvation programs via P1BS-containing targets, while WRKY factors remodel stress and nutrient responses through W-box-driven networks. Together with bHLH and hormone-associated TFs (ARF, ERF), these regulators: (1) directly modulate high-affinity Pi transporters (PHT1 family), (2) reconfigure root system architecture by balancing primary-root inhibition with lateral root and root-hair proliferation, (3) enhance rhizosphere mobilization via organic-acid and acid phosphatase secretion, and (4) promote arbuscular mycorrhizal-mediated Pi uptake. TFs also integrate hormone cues (jasmonate, ethylene, strigolactone, brassinosteroid, auxin/cytokinin) and nutrient crosstalk (notably N-P via PHR-SPX and NIGT cascades) to align local foraging with whole-plant status. Beyond acquisition, PHR-centered circuits contribute to phosphorus use efficiency by guiding lipid remodeling and directing Pi translocation and remobilization. Translational studies highlight the promise of TF-based engineering: manipulating factors, such as OsPHR2, TaPHR1, OsWRKY74, and ZmPTF1, improves Pi uptake, biomass, and yield under low-Pi conditions. We conclude that precise TF deployment and cis-regulatory tuning offer a scalable path to crops with higher Pi efficiency and reduced fertilizer dependence, advancing sustainable agriculture and food security.