Roles of ERF Transcription Factors in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Response in Plants

The ethylene responsive factors (ERF) belong to a subfamily of the AP2/ERF superfamily in plants. The ERF family was defined by the presence of a conserved ERF domain consisting of 58 or 59 amino acids and has been demonstrated to be widely involved in regulation of various aspects of plant growth and development as well as in responses to different abiotic and biotic stresses. In this minireview, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of the ERF transcription factors in regulation of responses to abiotic and biotic stresses and discuss the future directions of studies on the ERF transcription factors in plants.