APX — Cucumis melo

Summary

MELO3C020719.2, designated CmAPX on melon chromosome 13, encodes a haem peroxidase family protein with L-ascorbate peroxidase activity and additional annotated functions including p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase, siRNA and miRNA binding, and protein kinase activities. The gene is associated with cellular response to oxidative stress, flavonoid and auxin metabolism, cell cycle G2/M phase transition, stomatal development, and pattern formation in leaves. It localises to the peroxisome membrane, chloroplast thylakoid membrane, stress granules, plasmodesmata, and the plant-type cell wall. CmAPX is linked to numerous agronomic traits including bacterial blight and viral disease resistance, aphid response, net photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, seed viability, days to flowering, root and shoot biomass, flavonoid and sugar content, and ethylene sensitivity. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to heat, drought, salt, high-light, and oxidative stress tolerance, as well as root development, hydrotropism, and pathogen defence.