Identification of Passion Fruit ERF Gene Family and the Functional Analysis of PeERF68 in Response to Salt and Heat Stress

ERF transcription factors matter greatly in plant development and stress responses. In this study, a total of 77 ERF genes were identified in the passion fruit genome. These genes were classified into 12 groups based on their phylogenetic tree and were further analyzed for their gene structure and conserved motifs. The results suggest that PeERF genes with close evolutionary relationships possess similar structural and motif compositions. The observation of the syntenic relationships revealed that both tandem and segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of ERF genes. Expression patterns of PeERFs across various organs and different developmental stages suggested diverse functional roles for these genes. In addition, differential expression patterns were observed under abiotic stress treatments, indicating a potential role for PeERFs in passion fruit adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. Notably, overexpression of PeERF68 consistently enhanced tolerance to salt and heat stress in Arabidopsis. These findings imply that PeERF genes may have important regulatory functions in plant growth and development. Overall, this work provides valuable insights for further research into the biological functions of PeERF genes in passion fruit.