Genome-Wide Identification of ERF Transcription Factor Family and Functional Analysis of the Drought Stress-Responsive Genes in .

As an important forage legume with high values in feed and medicine, has been widely cultivated. The AP2/ERF transcription factor has been shown to play an important regulatory role in plant drought resistance, but it has not been reported in the legume forage crop . To digger the genes of in response to drought stress, we identified and analyzed the ERF gene family of at the genome-wide level. A total of 100 genes containing a single AP2 domain sequence were identified in this study, named to , and bioinformatics analysis was performed. Collinearity analysis indicated that segmental duplication may play a key role in the expansion of the ERF gene family. -acting element predictions suggest that genes are involved in various hormonal responses and abiotic stresses. The expression patterns indicated that responded to drought stress to varying degrees. Furthermore, four up-regulated (, , and ) under drought stress were overexpressed in yeast and indicated their biological functions to confer the tolerance to drought. This work will advance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the drought response in . Further study of the promising potential candidate genes identified in this study will provide a valuable resource as the next step in functional genomics studies and improve the possibility of improving drought tolerance in by transgenic approaches.