HEL — Capsicum annuum

Summary

The pepper (Capsicum annuum) gene T459_22172, symbol HEL and also known as PR4b, encodes a protein of the PR4 family, containing a Barwin domain and a chitin-binding domain, and is annotated with RNA nuclease, chitin-binding, sugar-binding, hydrolase, transmembrane receptor protein serine/threonine kinase, and protein-binding activities. This gene is associated with defence responses, including response to virus, bacteria, herbivore, and ethylene, as well as systemic acquired resistance, hypersensitive response-programmed cell death, cell death, and virus-induced post-transcriptional gene silencing. It is also linked to nitrogen fixation, spore germination, cell wall modification, phloem transport, secretion, leaf vascular tissue pattern formation, auxin and brassinosteroid signalling, and localises to secretory vesicles, the extracellular region, and the plasma membrane. Associations with leaf vein morphology, disease tolerance, pathogen resistance (including to Botrytis cinerea), salt tolerance, and premature senescence have been noted. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to traits such as drought tolerance, chlorophyll content, and seed germination under salt stress.