Acts as a transcriptional activator. 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/phosphatase cascade, and to be influenced by methyl-jasmonate. Expressed in roots. Not expressed in cell culture. Strongly induced by ethephon (ethylene-releasing compound) in buds and in leaves. Also strongly induced by cycloheximide, 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 a protein kinase cascade, and to be negatively regulated by 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 3 subfamily. Was named ERF4 but it corresponds to Arabidopsis ERF5.