The ERF Transcription Factor ERF41 Negatively Regulates Drought and Salt Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Drought and salt stresses severely impair plant growth and development worldwide. DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING proteins (DREBs), as a subfamily of the AP2/ERF transcription factor superfamily, play critical regulatory roles in plant biological processes including growth and development, as well as the adaptive response to various abiotic stresses. Based on the transcriptome data analysis of Medicago truncatula under saline-alkali stress previously conducted in our laboratory, a gene responsive to saline-alkali stress, Medtr3g110205, was identified, and its homologous gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, AtERF41 (AT5G11590), was obtained via BLAST (version BLAST+ 2.17.0.). The mutant erf41 was used to explore its biological functions in response to drought and salt stresses. The results showed that under salt and drought stress conditions, the seed germination rate, and growth status of the erf41 mutant were all better than those of the wild type. Further determination of physiological and biochemical indicators revealed that the leaf contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and proline (Pro) in the leaves of the mutant plants were significantly higher than those in the wild type, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly decreased. In conclusion, the AtERF41 gene negatively regulates salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, providing a potential target for the genetic improvement of crop stress tolerance. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of DREB transcription factors in plant stress response but also provides a theoretical basis for improving crop stress tolerance using genetic engineering technology in the future.