MAZ — Capsicum annuum

Summary

CaMAZ (T459_16366) on pepper chromosome 6 encodes a CARK-like protein with protein serine/tyrosine kinase activity, transcription factor binding, and phosphatase binding functions. It is associated with diverse biological processes including nitrogen fixation, pollen-pistil interaction, stomatal complex patterning, root hair tip growth, flower morphogenesis, and induced systemic resistance via jasmonic acid signaling. The gene is linked to numerous agronomic traits such as seed size, root hair length, adventitious root number, phosphorus uptake, wheat powdery mildew disease response, aphid response, UV-B light sensitivity, osmotic response sensitivity, and ethylene sensitivity. Localization evidence connects CaMAZ to the plasmodesma, endosome, stress granule, and preprophase band. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to pathogen resistance, oxidative stress response, root hair development, and ABA sensitivity.