CEP1 — Solanum lycopersicum

Summary

SlCEP1 (CEP1) on tomato chromosome 2 encodes a papain-like cysteine peptidase with thiol endopeptidase activity. It is associated with hydrogen sulfide metabolism, programmed cell death, phloem unloading, vesicle formation, sucrose anabolism, cytokinin and abscisic acid anabolism, starch and chlorophyll breakdown, dehiscence, floral organ senescence, water transport, and regulation of photosynthesis. The gene is linked to bacterial and biotrophic pathogen resistance, and to traits including carbon isotope discrimination, stem thickness, leaf water potential, hydrogen peroxide content, turgor pressure, lycopene and sucrose content, fruit weight and size, nitrate uptake, transpiration rate, water use efficiency, photosynthetic rate, stomatal resistance, plant height, and salt tolerance. It localises to senescence-associated vacuoles, lysosomes, protein storage vacuoles, and the ER lumen. Related genes in other species are linked to developmental senescence, powdery mildew resistance, thiamin biosynthesis, and cadmium-induced programmed cell death.