Ethylene response factor NtERF91 positively regulates alkaloid accumulations in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Abstract Tobacco alkaloid metabolism is regulated by various transcription factors (TFs). Here, we have characterized a non-NIC2 locus gene, Ethylene Response Factor 91 (ERF91), function in regulation of alkaloid accumulation in tobacco. NtERF91 was preferentially expressed in roots and induced by jasmonic acid. Additionally, NtERF91 was able to in vitro bind to the NtPMT2 and NtQPT2 promoters via directly targeting the GCC-box elements and transactivate NtQPT2 gene expression. Ectopic overexpression of NtERF91 not only increased the expression of most nicotine biosynthetic genes, but also altered alkaloid accumulation profile, resulting in dramatically anatabine accumulation. We conclude that NtERF91 plays an overlapped but distinct role in regulating tobacco alkaloid accumulations.