Transcription factors ERF74/77/108/125 enhance thermotolerance in rice by regulating common and distinct heat-responsive gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Heat stress severely impacts crop productivity, necessitating the identification of key regulatory genes for improving thermotolerance. Here, we demonstrate that the rice nuclear-localized AP2/ERF transcription factors ERF74/77/108/125 function as critical regulators of heat stress responses. Loss-of-function mutant seedlings of ERF74/77 or ERF108/125 exhibit increased heat sensitivity, whereas overexpression of each ERF74, ERF77, ERF108 or ERF125 individually enhances thermotolerance, indicating their positive role in heat adaptation. These ERFs activate heat-responsive genes, with ERF74/77 and ERF108/125 sharing common targets while maintaining distinct regulatory networks. Mechanistically, ERF74/77/108/125 directly bind to the promoter of HsfA2c, a central heat shock transcription facto

SUBMITTER: Luo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12483976 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature