COMT — Capsicum annuum

Summary

CaCOMT (T459_18430) on pepper chromosome 6 encodes a protein with multiple O-methyltransferase activities, including rhamnetin 3'-O-methyltransferase, kaempferol 3-O-methyltransferase, and caffeate O-methyltransferase activity, and contains a COMT-like dimerisation domain and a SAM-dependent methyltransferase superfamily domain. The gene is associated with lignin, flavonol, coumarin, indole glucosinolate, serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis, as well as responses to UV, freezing, mannitol and cadmium transport. It has been linked to leaf vein morphology, lignin content, photosynthetic rate, viral disease response, cell growth, and resistance to root-knot nematode. The protein localises to the cytosol, nucleus, plastid, plasmalemma, plasmodesma, plant-type cell wall and stress granules. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to drought tolerance, salt tolerance, cold tolerance, thermotolerance, Botrytis cinerea resistance, and photosynthesis.