Global climate change makes the plants expose to diverse extreme environmental stresses more frequently, which can produce excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation resulting in oxidative damages of intracellular polysaccharides, DNA, lipids and proteins and other macromolecules. In order to maintain redox balance and to protect against environmental stresses, plants have evolved a ROS-scavenging system to eliminate excess ROS, including ROS-removing systems, such as Msr (methionine sulfoxide reductase) gene family. Methionine (Met) in proteins can easily be oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (MetSO) by ROS, which leads to modification of conformation and activity for related proteins. Fortunately, this change can be reversed by Msr gene family. According to substrate stereospecificity, plant MSR family can be divided into two subfamilies, A and B. In this review, firstly, we have analyzed the research history, protein properties and catalytic mechanism of Msr family. Secondly, we have summarized the composition of plant Msr gene family. Thirdly, we have described the research progress on physiological function of Msr gene family. Finally, we make a simple prospect for the further research.