ERF1 — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsERF1, encoded by the gene LSAT_V11C700387770 on lettuce chromosome 7, is a DNA-binding transcription factor containing an AP2/ERF domain. It is associated with diverse biological processes including responses to flooding, chitin, and molecules of bacterial and fungal origin, as well as ethylene and abscisic acid signaling, gibberellin biosynthesis, floral meristem determinacy, and regulation of secondary shoot formation. The gene has been linked to agronomically relevant traits such as bacterial blight disease resistance, submergence tolerance, photosynthetic rate, flowering time, heat stress tolerance, and salt tolerance. It is also connected to phenotypes including ammonium sensitivity, chlorophyll synthesis, leaf development, stomatal closure, and pathogen resistance. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to drought stress response, abscisic acid sensitivity, and defense against bacterial and fungal pathogens.