Nant Nyein Zar Ni  Naing^1,4 , Chunli  Wang^1,3 , Xiaoli  Zhou^1,5 , Cui  Zhang^1,3 , Junjie  Li^1,3 , Juan  Li^1,2,3 , Qian  Zhu^1,2,3 , Dongsun  Lee^1,2,3 , Lijuan  Chen^1,2,3

1 Rice Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
2 The Key Laboratory for Crop Production and Smart Agriculture of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
3 State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
4 Department of Plant Breeding, Physiology and Ecology, Yezin Agricultural University (YAU), Nay Pyi Taw, 15013, Myanmar
5 College of Agricultural Science, Xichang University, Liangshan, 615013, Sichuan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Plant Breeding, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 3   doi: 10.5376/mpb.2025.16.0017
Received: 19 Apr., 2025    Accepted: 21 May, 2025    Published: 30 May, 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Naing N.N.Z.N., Wang C.L., Zhou X.L., Zhang C., Li J.J., Li J., Zhu Q., Lee D.S., and Chen L.J., 2025, Molecular mechanisms of rice drought resistance genes and their prospects in breeding, Molecular Plant Breeding, 16(3): 165-179 (doi: 10.5376/mpb.2025.16.0017)

Drought resistance in rice is a critical trait for ensuring stable yields in the face of increasing water scarcity. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying drought resistance genes in rice and their potential applications in breeding programs. Drought tolerance in rice is a complex trait influenced by various genetic and physiological factors. Recent advancements in genetic engineering, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified key genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with drought resistance. Several key genes closely associated with drought resistance have been appraised for their appreciable potential in drought resistance breeding. For instance, the overexpression of OsERF71 in transgenic rice has been shown to enhance drought tolerance by modulating global gene expression and energy allocation. Additionally, the identification of drought-responsive genes through transcriptome analysis and gene co-expression networks has provided insights into the biological processes and metabolic pathways involved in drought tolerance. The integration of these molecular insights into breeding programs, such as the use of MAS and genetic transformation, has led to the development of rice varieties with improved drought resistance. This review highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, combining molecular genetics, plant physiology, and advanced breeding techniques, to develop rice cultivars that can withstand drought conditions and ensure food security.

Drought resistance; Rice breeding; Molecular genetics; Gene expression; Marker-assisted selection (MAS)