BET9 — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsBET9 (BET9) on chromosome 4 of garden lettuce encodes a bromodomain-containing protein with histone acetylase activity, histone binding, SUMO transferase activity, and DNA-binding transcription factor activity. It is associated with the regulation of nitrate assimilation, salicylic acid metabolism, systemic acquired resistance, and antiviral responses. The gene has been linked to traits including seed protein content, seed dormancy, flowering time, anthocyanin content, root hair length, lateral root length, root thickness, whole plant size, chloroplast development, and responses to nitrate, phosphorus, aluminum, copper, auxin, high and low temperature stress, oxidative stress, and disease tolerance. It is also associated with shoot regeneration, developmental growth, and cellular responses to potassium starvation. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to cell cycle regulation, immune response, and ploidy level.