AP2/ERF transcription factors regulate the biosynthesis of terpenoids, phenolics, and alkaloids in plants

Abstract

AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs) constitute a large, plant-specific family that acts as a central hub integrating developmental and environmental signals to modulate the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. These compounds, including terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids, are vital for plant survival and are of immense value to human health and industry. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the molecular mechanisms by which AP2/ERF TFs regulate these crucial metabolic pathways. We systematically classify and dissect their regulatory modes, including direct binding to cis-elements (e.g. GCC-box, CE1, and DRE/CRT), indirect control via upstream signaling cascades, co-regulation through physical interactions with other TF families (e.g. MYB, bHLH, WRKY), and feedback regulation. We present numerous case studies across diverse plant species, highlighting both conserved principles and species-specific adaptations in the control of high-value natural products like artemisinin, tanshinones, anthocyanins, and nicotine. Furthermore, we discuss the emerging roles of AP2/ERF TFs in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, and outline future research directions, emphasizing the application of multi-omics and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies to unravel and engineer these complex regulatory networks for targeted overproduction of valuable phytochemicals.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82360742); Key project at central government level: The ability establishment of sustainable use for valuable Chinese medicine resources (2060302).

Authors contributions

Qin Chen (Writing—original draft, Visualization, Methodology, Investigation, Conceptualization), Na Li (Writing—review & editing, Supervision), Xiuming Cui (Writing—review & editing), Feng Ge (Writing—review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition)

Data availability

Data availability is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Conflicts of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Supplementary material

Supplementary material is available at Horticulture Research online.

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