PAL — Nicotiana attenuata

Summary

A4A49_25502, designated PAL and also known as TPA1 in coyote tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata, chromosome scaffold01985), encodes a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.24) with ammonia-lyase activity, amino acid binding, protein dimerization activity, and DNA-binding transcription factor activity. The product belongs to the Phe_NH3-lyase and aromatic lyase families. In this species, PAL is associated with floral scent production, herbivore defense response, salicylic acid and L-phenylalanine breakdown, cinnamic acid and phenylpropanoid anabolism, lignin breakdown, cell wall thickening, drought recovery, response to UV-B and low humidity, guard cell fate commitment, and negative regulation of cytokinin-mediated signalling. The gene is associated with disease resistance, pathogen and wound responses, anthocyanin accumulation, chilling and freezing tolerance, salt stress tolerance, UV-B tolerance, and resistance to Corynespora cassiicola and Cucumber mosaic virus. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to fruit shelf life, heat and drought tolerance, powdery mildew resistance, and herbivore defense.