Ethylene response factors （ERFs） are key regulatory proteins involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses. In this study， based on the genome data of Pennisetum purpureum， 53 members of the PpERF gene family were identified. The encoded proteins ranged from 191 to 1145 amino acids in length， with predicted isoelectric points ranging from 4.75 to 11.79 and molecular weights ranging from 20 536.11 to 124 866.3 Da. Among these genes， three were not mapped to the chromosomes， whereas the remaining genes were unevenly distributed across eight chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the PpERF genes into three evolutionary clades. Most PpERF proteins contained highly conserved Motifs 1， 2， and 4， and multiple stress-responsive cis-acting elements were identified in their promoter regions. Expression analysis showed that 11 PpERF genes exhibited spatiotemporal expression specificity under low-temperature stress， among which PpERF17， PpERF21， and PpERF32 were significantly upregulated after 24 h of cold treatment. Transient overexpression assays in tobacco further demonstrated that these three genes significantly enhanced plant tolerance to low-temperature stress. This study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying low-temperature responses in Pennisetum purpureum and offers potential candidate genes for the breeding of cold-tolerant forage grasses.

Pennisetum purpureum  /  ERF transcription factor  /  Low-temperature stress  /  Gene expression analysis