WRKY transcription factors in potato research: functional genetic manipulation for multi-stress resilience and crop improvement.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a globally important staple crop whose productivity is increasingly threatened by concurrent abiotic and biotic stresses under climate change. Transcription factors of the WRKY family have emerged as central regulatory hubs coordinating stress-responsive multiple networks and specialized metabolism. This article highlights current advances in WRKY research in potato, with a particular focus on functional genetic manipulation approaches aimed at enhancing multi-stress resilience. By integrating targeted literature analysis and bibliometric mapping, we highlight key WRKY isoforms implicated in tolerance to heat, drought, cold, heavy metals, and pathogens, while underscoring the predominance of transient or heterologous functional assays. Although evidence consistently demonstrates the strong regulatory potential of WRKY transcription factors, stable and heritable genetic manipulation in potato warrants further investigation. We also highlight critical gaps and emerging opportunities for translating WRKY-mediated regulation into environmentally smart crop improvement strategies, further emphasizing the need for gene characterization and relevant genome approaches to support resilient potato breeding.