HEL — Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Summary

BoHEL (HEL, PR4) on cauliflower chromosome 5 encodes a PR4 family protein containing a Barwin domain and a double-psi beta-barrel fold, with annotated RNA nuclease, chitin-binding, sugar-binding, hydrolase, transmembrane receptor protein serine/threonine kinase and protein-binding activities. The gene is associated with defence responses to bacteria, fungi, viruses and herbivores, systemic acquired resistance, hypersensitive response cell death, ethylene and brassinosteroid signalling, auxin signalling, phloem transport, leaf vascular tissue pattern formation, and immune response. It localises to secretory vesicles, the extracellular region and the plasma membrane. Associations with drought tolerance, salt tolerance, resistance to Botrytis cinerea, disease resistance, pathogen defence, wilt symptom development, leaf vein morphology, abnormal leaf venation, reduced vein number, premature senescence and leaf cell death have been reported. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to leaf venation and vascular development.