ERF3 — Capsicum annuum

Summary

CaERF3 (T459_08701) on pepper chromosome 3 encodes an ethylene-responsive element binding protein C4, a member of the AP2/ERF domain family with DNA-binding transcription factor activity. It is associated with diverse biological processes including responses to oxygen levels, high light intensity, freezing, chitin, and nematodes, as well as regulation of ethylene-mediated signaling, jasmonic acid-mediated induced systemic resistance, camalexin biosynthesis, stomatal complex patterning and closure, root meristem size, and unidimensional cell growth. The gene is linked to traits such as salt response, osmotic response sensitivity, proline content, photosynthetic rate, seed size, leaf morphology, and adventitious root number. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to stress tolerance, pathogen resistance, and growth regulation.