RD2 — Cicer arietinum

Summary

LOC101492884 (symbol RD2) on chickpea chromosome 5 encodes a UspA domain-containing protein with dsRNA binding, disulphide bond formation, miRNA binding, identical protein binding, and protein binding activities. It is associated with pre-miRNA processing, gene silencing by miRNA, ta-siRNA processing, regulation of cell fate specification, leaf proximal/distal and vascular tissue pattern formation, digestion, and responses to desiccation, nitrogen fixation, cytokinin, auxin, and abscisic acid. The gene has been connected to leaf margin and vein morphology, stamen morphology, root phototropism, osmotic and cytokinin sensitivity, pollen fertility restoration, light intensity response, root meristem development, flowering time, and salt tolerance. Its product localizes to D bodies, secretory vesicles, vacuoles, ER, plastids, mitochondria, cytosol, and the plasmalemma. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to miRNA processing, leaf polarity, hypocotyl elongation, and osmotic stress tolerance.