The ERF transcription factor TaERF13-2B functions as a negative regulator of drought tolerance in Arabidopsis and wheat

Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are transcription factors that are essential in modulating drought stress responses in plants such as <i>Arabidopsis</i> and rice. However, the functional role of ERF in wheat drought stress response remains unclear. We identified 33 wheat <i>ERF</i> genes under drought stress using transcriptomic analysis and categorized them into eight subfamilies (I-VIII). Among them, 12 drought-responsive candidate genes were upregulated, and <i>TaERF13-2B</i> was selected for further analysis. <i>TaERF13-2B</i> overexpression in <i>Arabidopsis</i> resulted in significantly reduced survival rates under drought conditions with decreased expression of stress-responsive and antioxidant enzyme genes, indicating that the <i>TaERF13-2B</i> gene elevated drought sensitivity in transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i>. In wheat, overexpression of <i>TaERF13-2B</i> under drought stress increased malondialdehyde accumulation, decreased chlorophyll and proline levels, and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, the expression of stress-responsive and antioxidant-related genes was suppressed, suggesting that TaERF13-2B negatively regulates wheat response to drought stress. The interactions between TaERF13-2B and TaCIPK9 were further confirmed using yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Overall, these discoveries deepen our insights into the wheat ERF family and contribute to the elucidation of the functional role of TaERF13-2B in wheat.