R2R3-MYB genes (R2R3-MYBs) form one of the largest transcription factor gene families in the plant kingdom, with substantial structural and functional diversity. However, the evolutionary processes leading to this amazing functional diversity have not yet been clearly established. Recently developed genomic and classical molecular technologies have provided detailed insights into the evolutionary relationships and functions of plant R2R3-MYBs. Here, we review recent genome-level and functional analyses of plant R2R3-MYBs, with an emphasis on their evolution and functional diversification. In land plants, this gene family underwent a large expansion by whole genome duplications and small-scale duplications. Along with this population explosion, a series of functionally conserved or lineage-specific subfamilies/groups arose with roles in three major plant-specific biological processes: development and cell differentiation, specialized metabolism, and biotic and abiotic stresses. The rapid expansion and functional diversification of plant R2R3-MYBs are highly consistent with the increasing complexity of angiosperms. In particular, recently derived R2R3-MYBs with three highly homologous intron patterns (a, b, and c) are disproportionately related to specialized metabolism and have become the predominant subfamilies in land plant genomes. The evolution of plant R2R3-MYBs is an active area of research, and further studies are expected to improve our understanding of the evolution and functional diversification of this gene family.

中文翻译：

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植物中R2R3-MYB转录因子的进化和功能多样性

R2R3-MYB 基因 (R2R3-MYB) 是植物界最大的转录因子基因家族之一，具有巨大的结构和功能多样性。然而，导致这种惊人的功能多样性的进化过程尚未明确确定。最近发展的基因组和经典分子技术为植物 R2R3-MYB 的进化关系和功能提供了详细的见解。在这里，我们回顾了植物 R2R3-MYB 最近的基因组水平和功能分析，重点是它们的进化和功能多样化。在陆地植物中，该基因家族通过全基因组复制和小规模复制经历了大规模扩展。随着种群数量的爆炸，出现了一系列功能保守或谱系特异性的亚科/类群，它们在三个主要的植物特异性生物过程中发挥作用：发育和细胞分化、专门代谢以及生物和非生物胁迫。植物R2R3-MYB的快速扩展和功能多样化与被子植物日益复杂的趋势高度一致。特别是，最近衍生的具有三种高度同源内含子模式（a、b和c）的R2R3-MYB与专门的代谢不成比例地相关，并已成为陆地植物基因组中的主要亚家族。植物 R2R3-MYB 的进化是一个活跃的研究领域，进一步的研究有望提高我们对该基因家族的进化和功能多样化的理解。