Abstract
BACKGROUND: MYB transcription factors play a crucial regulatory role in plant growth and stress response. The gene EpMYB, obtained from Endocarpon pusillum, a dominant lichen in the Tengger Desert, was transferred to creeping bentgrass to explore its effects on plant growth and response to abiotic stress. RESULTS: Compared to wild-type (WT), transgenic (TG) plants exhibited a faster growth rate, a significantly higher number of leaves per tiller, increased internode length, and longer maximum leaf length. However, some of the leaves were severely twisted. Additionally, the antioxidant enzyme content, lignin content and drought tolerance of the TG plants was significantly enhanced. RNA-seq analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the TG-vs-WT were primarily associated with pathways such as photosynthesis, wax biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis. By comparing the TG (Drought treatment)-vs-TG and WT (Drought treatment)-vs-WT groups, numerous DEGs related to growth, development, and stress tolerance were identified, including aldehyde decarbonylase gene(CER1), lignin synthesis gene (HCT), adenylate dimethylallyltransferase gene (IPT), peroxin-10 gene (PEX10), among others. These results suggest that the EpMYB gene enhances the drought tolerance of transgenic creeping bentgrass by regulating photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, lignin synthesis, wax synthesis, and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the EpMYB gene functions as a positive regulator of plant growth and development, while also playing a crucial role in the plant’s response to drought stress. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the feasibility of selecting specific functional genes from stress-tolerant microorganisms and applying them to plants to enhance stress resistance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07740-y.