The Arabidopsis ERF transcription factor ORA59 coordinates jasmonic acid- and ethylene-responsive gene expression to regulate plant immunity

Jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) signaling modulate plant defense against necrotrophic pathogens. These hormone pathways lead to transcriptional reprogramming, which is a major part of plant immunity and requires the roles of transcription factors. ET response factors are responsible for the transcriptional regulation of JA/ET-responsive defense genes, among which ORA59 functions as a key regulator of this process and has been implicated in the JA-ET crosstalk. Here, we identified the ERELEE4 as an ORA59-binding cis -element, in addition to the well-characterized GCC box, demonstrating that ORA59 regulates JA/ET-responsive genes through direct binding to these elements in the gene promoters. Notably, ORA59 exhibited differential preference for the GCC box and ERELEE4, depending on whether ORA59 activation is achieved by JA and ET, respectively. Our results provide insights into how ORA59 can generate specific patterns of gene expression dynamics through JA and ET hormone pathways.