RAC1 — Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare

Summary

HORVU.MOREX.R3.6HG0615630 (HvRAC1) on barley chromosome 6H encodes a small GTPase of the Rho family, annotated with GDP binding, GTPase binding, and multiple prenyltransferase activities including protein geranylgeranyltransferase and farnesyltransferase activity. In barley, the gene is associated with susceptibility to powdery mildew. It is linked to the regulation of calcium-mediated signaling, actin cytoskeleton organization, cell polarity establishment, and protein prenylation. The encoded product localizes to sites of polarized growth such as the pollen tube tip and filiform apparatus, as well as the SCAR complex and secondary cell wall. Associations with agronomic traits include seed yield, plant dry weight, root and shoot growth, cadmium and arsenic concentration, phosphorus response, and abiotic stress tolerance. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to disease resistance, defence responses, and grain development.