STZ — Medicago truncatula

Summary

MTR_3G102980 (MtSTZ) encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor of the AZF1/2/3-like family. The product exhibits DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription corepressor activity, and histone H3K4 methylase activity, and is localized to the nucleus, cytoplasm, and stress granules. MtSTZ is associated with multicellular organism growth, cell wall thickening, xylem development, photoprotection, regulation of root development, and phosphate homeostasis. It is linked to traits including lateral root number and length, adventitious root number, phosphorus uptake, photosynthetic rate, anthocyanin content, jasmonic acid sensitivity, and responses to osmotic stress, UV-B light, and insect damage. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to salt and freezing stress tolerance, drought tolerance, anthocyanin biosynthesis, and resistance to herbivory and Botrytis cinerea.