ARF — Solanum lycopersicum

Summary

SlARF (SOLYC06G072800.4) encodes a small GTPase of the ARF family, possessing GTPase, GTP-binding, protein kinase, and phospholipase activator activities, and is annotated with blue light photoreceptor and FMN-binding functions. The protein localises to the plasma membrane, Golgi, cytoplasm, nucleus, and vacuole. SlARF is associated with auxin, carotenoid, chlorophyll, starch, and polyamine metabolism, as well as leaflet, sepal, and root system development, placentation, floral organ abscission, and chloroplast accumulation movement. The gene is linked to numerous agronomic traits including fruit firmness and size, biomass yield, starch and sugar content, leaf relative water content, water use efficiency, chlorophyll content, days to flowering, stem elongation, root length and mass, leaf angle and shape, and responses to blue light, ethylene, low temperature, oxidative stress, and viral disease. Related genes in other species are linked to phototropism, chloroplast relocation, stomatal opening, and drought tolerance.