A leucine-rich repeat-receptor-like kinase gene SbER2–1 from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) confers drought tolerance in maize

ERECTA (ER) is a leucine-rich repeat-receptor-like kinase gene (LRR-RLK) encoding a protein isolated from Arabidopsis. Although the regulatory functions of ER genes have been widely explored in plant development and disease resistance, their roles in drought stress responses remain to be clarified.