COMT — Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Summary

BoCOMT (COMT) on cauliflower chromosome 2 encodes a protein with S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase activity and caffeate O-methyltransferase, myricetin 3′-O-methyltransferase, quercetin 3-O-methyltransferase, flavone 3′-O-methyltransferase and acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase activities. The gene is associated with lignin anabolism, phenylpropanoid anabolism, flavonoid metabolism, flavonol biosynthetic process, regulation of anthocyanin metabolism, serotonin metabolism, melatonin anabolism, macroautophagy, seed oilbody biogenesis, mucilage anabolism during seed coat development, phloem transport, leaf vascular tissue pattern formation, and responses to freezing and mannitol. It has been linked to cellulose content, leaf vein morphology, viral disease response trait, cell growth and development, sinapoyl ester content, lignin composition, and alkaline stress tolerance. The protein localises to the cytosol, cytoplasm, nucleus, plasmalemma, plastid, plasmodesma and plant-type cell wall. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to caffeic acid to ferulic acid conversion, melatonin biosynthesis, flavonol methylation, nitrogen stress adaptation, and traits including drought tolerance, water use efficiency, plant height, root length, anthocyanin content, lignin content, and germination rate.