BZIP — Cicer arietinum

Summary

The chickpea gene BZIP (bZIP) on chromosome 1 encodes a basic-leucine zipper (BZIP) transcription factor family protein with DNA-binding transcription factor activity. It is associated with responses to water and salt stress, chlorophyll metabolism, nodulation, flavonoid anabolism, and signal transduction. The gene has been linked to traits including seed weight, shoot dry weight, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, carotenoid content, disease tolerance, and osmotic adjustment capacity. It localises to the nucleus and is connected to seed development, flowering under drought stress, and regulation of seed size. Related genes in other species link the family to light signalling, drought response, and pathogen defence.