Ethylene response factors in Arabidopsis immunity

Abstract

Pathogen attack leads to transcriptional changes and metabolic modifications allowing the establishment of appropriate plant defences. Transcription factors (TFs) are key players in plant innate immunity. Notably, ethylene response factor (ERF) TFs are integrators of hormonal pathways and are directly responsible for the transcriptional regulation of several jasmonate (JA)/ethylene (ET)-responsive defence genes. Transcriptional activation or repression by ERFs is achieved through the binding to JA/ET-responsive gene promoters. In this review, we describe the regulation and mode of action at a molecular level of ERFs involved in Arabidopsis thaliana immunity. In particular, we focus on defence activators such as ERF1, ORA59, ERF6, and the recently described ERF96.