Isolation and characterization of Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF) genes from brinjal

Abstract

Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF) family of genes encode transcriptional regulators with a variety of functions involved in the developmental and physiological processes in plants. In this study, six SmERF genes were isolated from brinjal and expression analysis was carried out to determine their role in response to salt, drought and mechanical wounding and during fruit development and ripening stages. All the six SmERFs displayed differential expression pattern and levels throughout various stages of fruit development and ripening. Six genes namely SmERF7, SmERF20, SmERF52, SmERF70, SmERF80 and SmERF83 were up-regulated in response to salt, drought and mechanical wounding suggesting a crosstalk between stress signaling pathways. Up-regulation of SmERF7, SmERF52, SmERF70 and SmERF83 play important role at early stages of fruit development.