Advances of Researches on AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Response to Plant Abiotic Stress

Plant AP2 / ERF( APETALA2 / ethylene- responsive element binding factor) is a large transcription factor super-family,and its proteins all contain 1- or 2-segment AP2 / ERF domain with60-70 amino acid residues,which exist in all plants. The AP2 / ERF transcription factor is involved in many biological processes,including drought,high salt,low temperature and other stress responses. When the plant is stimulated by stress,such signals as abscisic acid and ethylene are activated and expression of AP2 / ERF transcription factor is also activated so as to regulate expression of function genes. The paper has summarized domestic and foreign researches on classification,structure characteristics,distribution,signaling pathways and gene regulation of the plant AP2 / ERF transcription factor in recent years.