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Review
. 2025 May 21;26(10):4921.
doi: 10.3390/ijms26104921.

The Role of AP2/ERF Transcription Factors in Plant Responses to Biotic Stress

Ze-Lin Su  1 , Ao-Mei Li  2 , Miao Wang  2 , Cui-Xian Qin  2 , You-Qiang Pan  2 , Fen Liao  2 , Zhong-Liang Chen  2 , Bao-Qing Zhang  2 , Wen-Guo Cai  1 , Dong-Liang Huang  2
Affiliations
Review

The Role of AP2/ERF Transcription Factors in Plant Responses to Biotic Stress

Ze-Lin Su et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) family of transcription factors (TFs) is one of the largest and most important TF families in plants. This family plays a crucial role in regulating growth, development, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the structure, classification, and distribution of AP2/ERF TFs in various plant species, with particular emphasis on their roles in responses to biotic stress. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on AP2/ERF TFs and their potential applications in crop improvement through molecular breeding.

Keywords: AP2/ERF; biotic stress; molecular breeding; regulation expression; transcription factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The structure and classification of AP2/ERF TFs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The role of AP2/ERF in biotic stress.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Regulation of hormones in responses to biotic stress.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Regulation of MAPK in responses to biotic stress.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Regulation of the cell wall in responses to biotic stress.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Epigenetic regulation of the AP2/ERF TF family in plant growth and development.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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