Acts as a transcriptional activator and may be involved in disease resistance pathways. Binds to the GCC-box pathogenesis-related promoter element. Involved in the regulation of gene expression by stress factors and by components of stress signal transduction pathways mediated by ethylene, that seems to depend on a protein kinase cascade, and to be influenced by methyl-jasmonate. Expressed in roots and at low levels in buds and leaves. Not expressed in cell culture. Induced by ethephon (ethylene-releasing compound) in buds and to a lower extent in leaves. Strongly induced by cycloheximide and mechanical stimuli. Wounding leads to a both local and systemic expression, independently of ethylene, and through a de-novo-protein-synthesis-independent regulation. Wound induction is reduced by methyl-jasmonate. Induction by purified xylanase from Trichoderma viride (TvX) and another elicitor from Phytophthora infestans (PiE), that appears to be mediated by both protein kinases and protein phosphatases. The AP2/ERF domain binds specifically to the 5'-GCCGCC-3' motif. The affinity of this binding is higher if the seventh amino-acid of this domain is basic (By similarity). Belongs to the ethylene-response factor family. Class 1 subfamily.