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Horticulturae
Volume 12
Issue 7
10.3390/horticulturae12070844
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Article

Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea

by
Hui An
1,2,†,
Hongshun Wu
3,†,
Lin Yu
3,
Zichen Lu
3,
Wenzhi Zhu
3,
Youchao Xin
3,* and
Xiaodong Li
1,2,*
1
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi 546300, China
2
Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture Silk, School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hechi University, Hechi 546300, China
3
College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844
Submission received: 8 June 2026 / Revised: 8 July 2026 / Accepted: 9 July 2026 / Published: 10 July 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Tree Species with Economic Value: Environmental Interactions and Adaptive Mechanisms Under Climate Change)
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Abstract

Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are transcription factors specific to plants that serve critical functions in various aspects of plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stressors. Despite the significance of these factors, the specific mechanisms by which mulberry ERFs interact with and respond to the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea have not yet been fully elucidated. This study focuses on the isolation of a particular ERF transcription factor, known as MnERF/ABR1, which is localized in the cell nucleus and is derived from mulberry. Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 in Arabidopsis or transient overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 in mulberry leaves can significantly enhance its resistance to B. cinerea. Our results suggest that empty vector control (CK) has higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, compared to overexpression lines. In contrast, the catalase (CAT) activity of overexpression lines was higher than that of CK plants. Furthermore, staining with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) indicated that the resistance to B. cinerea was more pronounced in plants with overexpression than in those of the CK plants. These findings uncovered the molecular regulatory pathway involving MnERF/ABR1 in response to B. cinerea and established a basis for the development of disease-resistant mulberry varieties through genome editing.
Keywords: mulberry; MnERF/ABR1; Botrytis cinerea; resistance mulberry; MnERF/ABR1; Botrytis cinerea; resistance

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MDPI and ACS Style

An, H.; Wu, H.; Yu, L.; Lu, Z.; Zhu, W.; Xin, Y.; Li, X. Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 844. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844

AMA Style

An H, Wu H, Yu L, Lu Z, Zhu W, Xin Y, Li X. Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(7):844. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844

Chicago/Turabian Style

An, Hui, Hongshun Wu, Lin Yu, Zichen Lu, Wenzhi Zhu, Youchao Xin, and Xiaodong Li. 2026. "Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea" Horticulturae 12, no. 7: 844. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844

APA Style

An, H., Wu, H., Yu, L., Lu, Z., Zhu, W., Xin, Y., & Li, X. (2026). Overexpression of MnERF/ABR1 from Mulberry Enhances Resistance to Botrytis cinerea. Horticulturae, 12(7), 844. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070844

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