Characterization of the AP2/ERF gene family in Fritillaria thunbergii and functional evaluation of FtAP2/ERF-61 in conferring tolerance to drought and salt stress.
Overexpression of FtAP2/ERF-61 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly enhanced germination rates and growth status under salt and osmotic stress, while reducing hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde accumulation, and upregulating the expression of stress-responsive genes and antioxidant enzyme genes.