ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1632482
This article is part of the Research TopicUnraveling Regulatory Networks of Carotenoid and Anthocyanin Regulation in Plant PigmentationView all articles
Functional analysis of AP2/ERF family members in flavonoid biosynthesis of wolfberry
Provisionally accepted
Ronghui Li1,2
Shijia Xia1,2
Qiyuan Long1,2
Cheng Jin1Haoxia Li3
Yuhui Xu4
Yuchao Chen5Xiaoyan Gan5Yuanyuan Zhang1*
JIanhua Zhao4,6*- 1School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Sanya, China
- 2School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- 3College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
- 4National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Wolfberry Science Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
- 5Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
- 6College of Biological Science& Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
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Flavonoids, a group of major bioactive ingredients, contribute to the nutritional and medicinal properties of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum). APETALA2/Ethylene response factors (AP2/ERFs) are widely distributed in plants and play crucial roles in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. However, the knowledge of AP2/ERF genes in wolfberry remains limited, and specific AP2/ERF family members involved in flavonoid biosynthesis have not been identified. Here, we systematically identified and characterized AP2/ERF proteins in wolfberry and identified key AP2/ERF family members involved in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. A total of 148 genes belonging to the L. barbarum AP2/ERF (LbAP2/ERF) family were identified, with dispersed duplication likely being the primary driver of their amplification. The LbAP2/ERF genes exhibit distinct expression profiles during different stages of fruit development, indicating their potential importance in wolfberry fruit development. Based on the metabolite and gene network analysis, a series of LbAP2/ERF genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were identified, including LbAP2/ERF089, LbAP2/ERF011, LbAP2/ERF068, and LbAP2/ERF099. Functional analysis further revealed that LbAP2/ERF089 positively regulates flavonoid synthesis by activating the expression of biosynthetic genes LbLAR and LbDFR. Overall, our results provide new
Keywords: AP2/ERF family, Wolfberry, Flavonoids, LbAP2/ERF089, transcription factor
Received: 21 May 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Xia, Long, Jin, Li, Xu, Chen, Gan, Zhang and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yuanyuan Zhang, School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Sanya, China
JIanhua Zhao, College of Biological Science& Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
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