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Summary: With global climate change, it is essential to find strategies to make crops more resistant to different stresses and guarantee food security worldwide. E3 ubiquitin ligases are critical regulatory elements that are gaining importance due to their role in selecting proteins for degradation in the ubiquitin‐proteasome proteolysis pathway. The role of E3 Ub ligases has been demonstrated in numerous cellular processes in plants responding to biotic and abiotic stresses. E3 Ub ligases are considered a class of proteins that are difficult to control by conventional inhibitors, as they lack a standard active site with pocket, and their biological activity is mainly due to protein–protein interactions with transient conformational changes. Proteolysis‐targeted chimeras (PROTACs) are a new class of heterobifunctional molecules that have emerged in recent years as relevant alternatives for incurable human diseases like cancer because they can target recalcitrant proteins for destruction. PROTACs interact with the ubiquitin‐proteasome system, principally the E3 Ub ligase in the cell, and facilitate proteasome turnover of the proteins of interest. PROTAC strategies harness the essential functions of E3 Ub ligases for proteasomal degradation of proteins involved in dysfunction. This review examines critical advances in E3 Ub ligase research in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. It highlights how PROTACs can be applied to target proteins involved in plant stress response to mitigate pathogenic agents and environmental adversities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gene family known as C2H2 zinc finger genes is widely recognized for its significant role in facilitating plant growth, development and reproduction. Many C2H2 zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZFPs) have been identified and intensively studied in other plants, but little is known about their function in apples. In this study, the C2H2-ZFPs genes of apples were identified and analyzed by whole genome sequence analysis. In our study, 70 members of the C2H2-ZFPs gene family were identified in apples. Phylogenetic analyses divided the apple C2H2-ZFPs gene family into 6 subgroups, with the same subgroups having similar gene structures and motif patterns and speculating on their possible functions. After analysis based on numerous cis -elements on gene promoters, the apple C2H2-ZFPs family contained many light-responsive elements, phytohormone-responsive elements, plant growth and development-related elements, and stress-responsive elements, which indicated the diversity of their functions. The RNA-seq results of apples under P. expansum treatment revealed that fifteen C2H2-ZFPs genes were differentially expressed. The RT-qPCR further validated the same trend as transcriptome data. C2H2-ZFPs genes were significantly expressed in the process of P. expansum infestation. Our analysis evidenced that the apple C2H2-ZFPs gene family plays a vital role in the process of P. expansum infestation in apples. The identified genes can serve as potential candidates for further investigation. The present study provides new ideas for further research on the function of C2H2-ZFPs genes and the innovation of disease resistance technology in apples. • The C2H2-ZFPs genes of apples were identified and analyzed. • The transcriptome of apples under P. expansum treatment was studied. • The MdZFP genes expressed in the process of P. expansum infestation were screened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]