RALF1 — Phaseolus vulgaris

Summary

PHAVU_007G197000, designated PvRALF1, encodes a protein with receptor ligand and hormone activities, and is associated with protein kinase activity and protein binding. In French bean, this gene is linked to diverse biological processes including nitrogen fixation, nodulation, root development, stomatal movement, circadian regulation of gene expression, and defence response to fungi. It has been connected to calcium signaling, response to brassinosteroid and ethylene, and downregulation of abscisic acid-mediated signaling. The protein localises to the apoplast, plasmodesma, filiform apparatus, and plasmalemma. PvRALF1 is associated with agronomically relevant traits such as root hair length, root thickness, cellulose content, flowering time, vegetative growth time, phosphorus response, cadmium concentration, salt tolerance, and disease tolerance. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to root cell expansion, lateral root formation, cytoplasmic calcium signaling, and cell-wall homeostasis.