erf1

ERF1, or Ethylene Response Factor 1, is a transcription factor in plants belonging to the AP2/ERF family. It is best studied in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but homologous genes are found across many plant species. ERF1 localizes to the nucleus and contains the conserved AP2/ERF DNA-binding domain, enabling it to recognize promoter elements such as the GCC box in target genes.

Functionally, ERF1 serves as a key node in the cross talk between ethylene and jasmonic acid signaling pathways. It is upregulated in response to ethylene signaling, with transcription directed in part by EIN3 and EIL1 transcription factors, and it is also responsive to jasmonate signaling. Once activated, ERF1 directly promotes the expression of defense-related genes, including PDF1.2, a plant defensin, thereby increasing resistance to necrotrophic pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea. ERF1 can act redundantly with ORA59, another AP2/ERF transcription factor, to regulate a subset of defense-associated genes.

Regulation of ERF1 involves transcriptional control and may be influenced by post-translational modifications. Its expression patterns are tissue- and condition-dependent, rising in response to pathogen attack or wounding that triggers ethylene production. The protein’s activity is integrated within broader hormonal signaling networks that shape the plant immune response.

Significance in plant biology lies in illustrating how plants integrate hormonal cues to mount targeted defenses. Experimental manipulation of ERF1, such as overexpression or loss-of-function studies, helps illuminate the roles of ethylene- and jasmonate-mediated defenses and their trade-offs with growth.

See also: Ethylene signaling, jasmonic acid signaling, GCC box, AP2/ERF transcription factor family, PDF1.2.