WRKY46 — Triticum aestivum

Summary

TRAESCS1A02G401800, designated TaWRKY49 on chromosome 1A of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), encodes a WRKY domain-containing protein with sequence-specific DNA-binding, transcription cis-regulatory region-binding, protein homodimerization activity and metal binding. The gene is associated with regulation of antifungal innate immune response, abscisic acid-mediated signalling involved in stomatal movement, positive regulation of leaf senescence, and responses to chitin, gibberellin, jasmonic acid, salicylate, fungi, bacteria, abiotic and biotic stimuli, as well as downregulation of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid-mediated signalling. It is linked to numerous agronomic traits including grain weight per spike, grains per spike, spikelet length, leaf width and length, chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, stem rust and stripe rust response, seedling vigor, heading date, root development, heat tolerance, and grain density. The protein localises to the nucleus. Related genes in other species link the family to heat tolerance and leaf senescence.