2009-08-012024-05-17https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/679793摘要：在植物的轉錄因子中，ERFs (ethylene-responsive element binding factors)屬于一個大的基因家族。 ERFs在植物中專一性的存在,顯示他們參與植物特有的生長發育過程和植物與環境的相互作用。到目前為止,大部分的ERF蛋白被認為扮演著轉錄活化因子之角色,可促進一些含有GCC box或CRT/DRE element的抗逆境基因及抗病基因之表現,不過也有一小群ERF蛋白扮演著轉錄抑制因子之功能。對於ERF抑制因子的生物功能仍然不清楚,因此在這個研究裡我們將說明ERF抑制因子的功能及其作用方式。我們將著重于研究其中一個ERF抑制因子(AtERF4)﹐因為AtERF4可以被環境中的鹽分逆境及乾旱逆境所誘導。我們將利用T-DNA插入突變體來研究AtERF4在阿拉伯芥對環境逆境反應之功效，鑑定出AtERF4的目標基因及與其有相互作用的蛋白質。既然ERF抑制因子專一性的存在於植物中,並且與其他轉錄因子也沒有序列上的相似性,深入研究ERF抑制因子將會發現他們在植物中獨一無二的作用方﹐而且會讓我們更加了解環境因子對於植物基因表現之相關調控機制。環境逆境如乾旱﹐鹽害和植物病害每年都會造成主要農作物的損失，因此更清楚了解ERFs如何調控基因表現將可以廣泛的運用在農作物之改良，尤其是作物對於環境逆境的耐受性方面。<br> Abstract: ERFs (ethylene-responsive element binding factors) belong to a large family of plant transcription factors that are found exclusively in plants. The plant-specific existence of ERFs suggests that they may be involved in the unique processes required for the integration of plants with environmental cues. Most of the ERF proteins identified so far were shown to act as transcriptional activators to up-regulate GCC box and/or CRT/DRE -containing genes involved in stress tolerance and pathogen resistance. However, a small subfamily of ERF proteins can act as transcriptional repressors. The biological functions of the ERF repressors are still unknown. The proposed research will elucidate the function and mode of action of ERF repressors. We will initially focus our study on AtERF4, an ERF repressor that can be induced by environmental stress such as salinity and drought. The role of AtERF4 in plant response to environmental stress will be studied by analyzing T-DNA insertion mutants in Arabidopsis. The target genes and interacting proteins of AtERF4 will be identified. Since ERF repressors are plant specific and share no sequence homology to other classes of transcription factors, understanding their function will likely to reveal their unique mode of action in plants. This study will lead to a better understanding of environmental regulation of gene expression in plants. Environmental stresses such as such as extremes of temperature, drought, salinity and pathogens, cause significant crop losses on an annual basis. A better understanding of how ERFs modulate gene expression may have wide application of crop improvement, particularly in the field of environmental tolerance.ERF抑制因子AtERF4植物逆境反應ERF repressorsAtERF4stress response