Iron (Fe) deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies that limit crop production worldwide. Members of the AP2/ERF family play important roles in regulation of gene expression in response to many forms of stress, including Fe deficiency. Here, eight AP2/ERF genes that responded to Fe deficiency were identified in the apple (Malus × domestica) genome and their gene structures, putative conserved protein motifs, and phylogeny were analyzed. Expression profile analysis by quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that 8 MdERF genes, including MdERF017, were induced by Fe deficiency. The maximum up-regulation of MdERF017 under Fe deficiency was 7.6- and 5.3-folds in leaves and roots, respectively. Overexpression of MdERF017 enhanced tolerance to Fe deficiency in transgenic apple calli and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Taken together, our results demonstrate that MdERF017 encodes an iron-responsive transcriptional activator and provide valuable information for further study of ERF functions in apple.

铁（Fe）缺乏症是限制全球农作物产量的最常见的微量营养素缺乏症之一。AP2 / ERF家族的成员在应对多种形式的压力（包括铁缺乏）时，在基因表达的调节中起着重要作用。这里，响应缺铁8个AP2 / ERF基因在苹果（鉴定苹果 × 家蝇）的基因组和它们的基因的结构，推定的保守蛋白基序，和系统发育分析。通过定量实时PCR的表达谱分析证实，铁缺乏症诱导了包括MdERF017在内的8个MdERF基因。MdERF017的最大上调缺铁胁迫下，叶片和根分别为叶片的7.6倍和5.3倍。MdERF017的过表达增强了对转基因苹果愈伤组织和烟草（烟草）中铁缺乏的耐受性。两者合计，我们的结果表明MdERF017编码铁反应性转录激活因子，并为进一步研究苹果中ERF功能提供有价值的信息。