**21. EAR-motif-containing gene GmERF4**

The ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif is vital for transcriptional repres‐ sion. The soybean protein GmERF4 contains one AP2/ERF domain, two putative nuclear lo‐ calization signal regions and one EAR motif. It is preferentially localized in the nuclei of onion epidermis cells and bound specifically to the GCC box and DRE/CRT element *in vitro*. Its expression was inducible by soybean mosaic virus, salt, cold, drought, ethylene, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid, and inhibited by abscisic acid. Constitutive expression of GmERF4 in transgenic tobacco plants enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stresses compared with wild-type plants, but did not elicit detectable resistance against bacterial infection [24].
