WRKY40 — Cicer arietinum

Summary

WRKY40 on chickpea chromosome 6 encodes a WRKY domain-containing protein with sequence-specific DNA binding and transcription factor activity, and is also annotated with magnesium chelatase activity and protein homodimerization activity. The gene is associated with regulation of antifungal innate immune response, inhibition of defense response to bacteria, response to salicylate, response to ethylene, response to chitin, response to wounding, response to cold, gibberellin metabolism, and GA-signaling. It is linked to drought sensitivity, submergence tolerance, leaf chlorosis, root number, and seedling cotyledon size. Localization evidence connects the product to the nucleus, chloroplast inner membrane, and plastid. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to defense, salicylic acid signaling, drought stress response, and thermomorphogenesis.