CAF — Nicotiana attenuata

Summary

A4A49_41176 (NaCAF) in coyote tobacco encodes an endoribonuclease Dicer-like 2 protein, possessing ribonuclease III, helicase, and DNA glycosylase activities, along with dsRNA and miRNA binding. It is associated with small RNA processing pathways, including pre-miRNA, lsiRNA, and ta-siRNA processing, and gene silencing via miRNA-mediated mRNA cleavage. The gene is linked to numerous developmental and morphological traits, such as leaf, floral organ, and embryo development, as well as seed maturation and meristem regulation. It is associated with stress responses, including viral disease, herbivore resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance, and to phenotypes like jasmonic acid-isoleucine accumulation, nicotine accumulation, and antiviral defense. Localization evidence places the product in the nucleus, cytosol, and nuclear speck.