Figures (1)  Tables (1)

    • Figure 1. 

      The location of ERF in ethylene signal pathway and the roles of ERFs in various developmental process and response to biotic and abiotic stress. (a) Hierarchical positioning of ERF transcription factors within the ethylene signaling cascade. Simplified schematic illustrates the sequential activation of core pathway components (abbreviations defined below) culminating in ERF-mediated transcriptional regulation. (b) Phylogenetic classification and domain architecture of the AP2/ERF superfamily. Conserved AP2/DNA-binding domains are highlighted across subfamilies (DREB, ERF, RAV, Soloist), with structural variations denoted by color-coded motifs. (c) Multifunctional roles of ERFs in plant development and stress adaptation. Network analysis reveals ERF involvement in: Developmental transitions (vegetative/reproductive growth); Fruit ripening and quality trait modulation; Cross-talk with hormonal pathways (jasmonic acid, auxin, gibberellins, abscisic acid); Biotic/abiotic stress response coordination; Secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Abbreviations: AP2/ERF – APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor; DREB – Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding; RAV – Related to ABI3/VP1; ETR – Ethylene Receptor; CTR – Constitutive Triple Response; EIN – Ethylene Insensitive 3; EIL – EIN3-Like; ERF – Ethylene Receptor Factor; JA – Jasmonic Acid; GA – Gibberellin; ABA – Abscisic Acid.

    • Gene identifiers Names New names Function Ref.
      Solyc02g090790 ERF.J2 SlERF.J2 Plant growth [31]
      Solyc05g052030 ERF.B3 SlERF.B3 Root development [19]
      Solyc10g006130 SlERF36 SlERF.F1 Plant growth [32]
      Solyc03g117130 SlERF52 Flower abscission [34]
      Solyc10g006130 SlERF36 SlERF.F1 Flowering time [35]
      Solyc03g093560 SlERF5 SlERF.B2 Flowering time [36]
      Solyc05g050830 SlERF.H5 SlERF.H5 Plant growth [33]
      Solyc06g066540 SlERF.H7 SlERF.H7 Plant growth [33]
      Solyc06g065820 LeERF1 SlERF.H1 Fruit ripening [28]
      Solyc02g077840 SLERF.F12 Fruit ripening [21]
      Solyc04g071770 ERF.D6 SlERF.D6 Fruit ripening [20]
      Solyc01g065980 ERF.E4 SlERF.E4 Fruit ripening [22]
      Solyc05g052030 ERF.B3 SlERF.B3 fruit ripening and
      ethylene response      		 [38]
      Solyc10g065980 ERF6 SlERF.E4 Fruit ripening and
      carotenoid synthesis      		 [39]
      Solyc05g052050 Pit4 SlERF.A3 Fruit ripening [40]
      Solyc02g077370 Pit5 SlERF.C6 Fruit ripening [40]
      Solyc06g082590 Pit6 SlERF.G2 Fruit ripening [40]
      Solyc10g009110 LeERF3b SlERF.F5 Fruit ripening [24]
      Solyc05g050830 SlERF.H5 SlERF.H5 Fruit firmness [33]
      Solyc06g066540 SlERF.H7 SlERF.H7 Fruit firmness [33]
      Solyc02g077790 SlERF.G3-like Fruit ripening [41]
      Solyc02g077370 ERF2 SlERF.C6 Disease resistance [45]
      Solyc08g078180 SlERF.A1 SlERF.A1 Disease resistance [46]
      Solyc03g093540 SlERF.B4 SlERF.B4 Disease resistance [46]
      Solyc09g066360 SlERF.C3 SlERF.C3 Disease resistance [46]
      Solyc05g052050 SlERF.A3 SlERF.A3 Disease resistance [46]
      Solyc08g078180 ERF68 SlERF.A1 Disease resistance [44]
      Solyc05g052050 Pit4 SlERF.A3 Disease resistance [47,48]
      Solyc02g077370 Pit5 SlERF.C6 Disease resistance [47,48]
      Solyc06g082590 Pit6 SlERF.G2 Disease response [47,48]
      Solyc09g089930 TSRF1 SlERF.C4 Disease resistance [49]
      Solyc05g051200 SlERF.C1 SlERF.C1 Disease resistance [50]
      Solyc03g093560 SlERF5 SlERF.B2 Drought and salt tolerance [52]
      Solyc05g051200 TERF1/JERF2 SlERF.C1 Salt tolerance [25]
      Solyc03g123500 JERF3 SlERF.E3 Salt tolerance [53]
      Solyc06g063070 JERF1 SlERF.E2 Salt tolerance [54]
      Solyc05g052030 ERF.B3 SlERF.B3 Ethylene-Auxin crosstalk [38]
      Solyc03g118190 SIERF.D7 SIERF.D7 Ethylene-Auxin crosstalk [56]
      Solyc02g090790 SlERF.J2 SlERF.J2 Ethylene-Auxin crosstalk [31]
      Solyc06g054630 ERF15 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [66]
      Solyc01g090320 SlERF.B8 SlERF.B8 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [59]
      Solyc03g120840 SlERF.H6 SlERF.H16 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [63]
      Solyc10g006130 SlERF36 SlERF.F1 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [32]
      Solyc05g052050 Pit4 SlERF.A3 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [64]
      Solyc04g071770 SlERF84 Sl-ERF.D6 Ethylene-ABA crosstalk [65]
      Solyc02g077790 SlERF.G3-like Flavonoid synthesis [41]
      Solyc01g090340 GAME9 SlERF.B9 SGA synthesis [68]
      Solyc03g120840 SlERF.H6 SlERF.H6 SGA synthesis [63]
      Solyc04g071770 SlERF.D6 SlERF.D6 SGA synthesis [20]
      Solyc03g123500 SlERF7 SlERF.E3 Phenolic compounds synthesis [70]
      Solyc05g051200 SlERF1 SlERF.C1 Phenolic compounds synthesis [71]
      Solyc07g053740 SlERF4 SlERF.F4 Phenolic compounds synthesis [71]
      The gene identifiers can be found at https://solgenomics.net/, the Name of ERF genes are derived from the cited literature, the new names refer to the nomenclature in the study by Chen et al.[31].

      Table 1. 

      Summary of the role of ethylene response factors (ERFs) in tomato.