{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T20:26:48Z","timestamp":1791491208482,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":86,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,6]],"date-time":"2021-05-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1620259200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Named for the characteristic basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) region in their protein structure, bHLH proteins are a widespread transcription factor class in eukaryotes. bHLHs transcriptionally regulate their target genes by binding to specific positions on their promoters and thereby direct a variety of plant developmental and metabolic processes, such as photomorphogenesis, flowering induction, shade avoidance, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, which are important for promoting plant tolerance or adaptation to adverse environments. In this review, we discuss the vital roles of bHLHs in plant responses to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, cold, and iron deficiency. We suggest directions for future studies into the roles of bHLH genes in plant and discuss their potential applications in crop breeding.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22094921","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,6]],"date-time":"2021-05-06T11:10:27Z","timestamp":1620299427000},"page":"4921","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":221,"title":["Current Understanding of bHLH Transcription Factors in Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Jianrong","family":"Guo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji\u2019nan 250014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Baixue","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji\u2019nan 250014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huanrong","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji\u2019nan 250014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yifan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji\u2019nan 250014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huaying","family":"Tian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry Engineering, Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University, Ji\u2019nan 250100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Baoshan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji\u2019nan 250014, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3268","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1222463110","article-title":"Assessing agricultural risks of climate change in the 21st century in a global gridded crop model intercomparison","volume":"111","author":"Rosenzweig","year":"2014","journal-title":"Proc. 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