Table 6. Drought-tolerance genes and their key characteristics in millets.
Genes Plants response References
Foxtail millet
SiLEA 14 It enhances tolerance in Arabidopsis plants to drought stress [40]
SiARDP Increased drought and salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis [41]
SiCDPK24 Improved drought resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis [51]
SiLTP Enhanced drought and salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco [52]
SiATG8a It enhances tolerance in Arabidopsis plants to drought stress and nitrogen starvation [53]
SiNF-YA1, SiNFYB8 Increased drought, salinity and osmotic stress tolerance in tobacco [54]
SiASR1 Improved tolerance to drought and oxidative stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco [55]
SiASR4 Increased drought and salt stress tolerance in transgenic foxtail millet and Arabidopsis [56]
SiMYB56 It enhances drought tolerance in transgenic rice plants [57]
Finger millet
EcDehydrin7 Overexpression of EcDehydrin7 increased drought tolerance in transgenic tobacco [42]
Ec-apx1 Enhanced drought tolerance in plant [43]
EcbHLH57 Conferred drought, salt and oxidative tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants [44]
EcbZIP60 Displayed tolerance to drought stress with enhanced photosynthesis in tobacco [45]
EcGBF3 Enhanced drought, Osmotic and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis [46]
EcbZIP17 Improved tolerance to various environmental stresses via ER signalling pathways [47]
Mt1D Overexpression of mt1D in finger millet showed better osmotic adjustment and chlorophyll retention under drought [48]
Metallothionein Increased drought tolerance [49]
Farnesylated protein ATFP6 Improved tolerance to drought stress [49]
Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase Enhanced tolerance to drought stress [49]
Protein phosphatase 2A Improved tolerance to drought stress [49]
RISBZ4 Improved tolerance to drought stress [49]
Pearl millet
PgCA Upregulate PgCA when it exposed to drought condition [50]
PgGPx Improved drought and salt in transgenic rice [58]
PgRab7 Transgenic rice plants displayed to drought and salinity stress [59]
PgeIF4A Enhanced tolerance to drought, salinity and oxidative stress in groundnut [60]