ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR6, A Central Regulator of Plant Growth in Response to Stress

ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR6 (ERF6) has emerged as a central player in stress-induced plant growth inhibition. It orchestrates complex pathways that enable plants to acclimate and thrive in challenging environments. In response to various abiotic and biotic stresses, ERF6 is promptly activated through both ethylene-dependent and -independent pathways, and contributes to enhanced stress tolerance mechanisms by activating a broad spectrum of genes at various developmental stages. Despite the crucial role of ERF6, there is currently a lack of published comprehensive insights into its function in plant growth and stress response. In this respect, based on the tight connection between ethylene and ERF6, we review the latest research findings on how ethylene regulates stress responses and the mechanisms involved. In addition, we summarize the trends and advances in ERF6-mediated plant performance under optimal and stressful conditions. Finally, we also highlight key questions and suggest potential paths to unravel the ERF6 regulon in future research. The ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 6 (ERF6) is a central regulator of plant growth and stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this work, we review the recent advances in our common understanding of the role of ethylene in growth and stress responses, and the contribution of ERF6 therein.