Ethylene response factor Sl-ERFB3 is responsive to abiotic stresses and mediates salt and cold stress response regulation in tomato

Sl-ERF.B.3 (Solanum lycopersicum ethylene response factor B.3)gene encodes for a tomato transcription factor of the ERF (ethylene responsive factor) family. Our results of real-time RT-PCR showed thatSl-ERF.B.3is an abiotic stress responsive gene, which is induced by cold, heat, and flooding, but downregulated by salinity and drought. To get more insight into the role ofSl-ERF.B.3in plant response to separate salinity and cold, a comparative study between wild type and twoSl-ERF.B.3antisense transgenic tomato lines was achieved. Compared with wild type,Sl-ERF.B.3antisense transgenic plants exhibited a salt stress dependent growth inhibition. This inhibition was significantly enhanced in shoots but reduced in roots, leading to an increased root to shoot ratio. Furthermore, the cold stress essay clearly revealed that introducing antisenseSl-ERF.B.3in transgenic tomato plants reduces their cell injury and enhances their tolerance against 14 d of cold stress. All these results suggest thatSl-ERF.B.3gene is involved in plant response to abiotic stresses and may play a role in the layout of stress symptoms under cold stress and in growth regulation under salinity.