HSP70 — Solanum lycopersicum

Summary

SlHSP70 (SOLYC07G043560.4) on tomato chromosome 7 encodes a heat shock 70 kDa protein family member with ATP hydrolase activity, ATP binding, heat shock protein binding, and protein folding chaperone functions. This gene is associated with diverse biological processes including thermomorphogenesis, heat dissipation, autophagy in response to ER stress, pigment accumulation, flower formation, and fructose metabolism. It localizes to the ER lumen, chloroplast membrane, Golgi complex, and plant-type vacuole. SlHSP70 is linked to agronomically important traits such as fruit size, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, quantum yield, germination rate, leaf trichome density, and flower abortion. It is associated with heat stress response, thermotolerance, wound response, and abiotic stress response. Studies of related genes in other species associate the HSP70 family with heat tolerance, drought tolerance, and salt stress tolerance.