WRKY20 — Triticum aestivum

Summary

TRAESCS2A02G189700, designated WRKY20 (also known as TaWRKY46, TaWRKY87), encodes a WRKY domain-containing transcription factor on bread wheat chromosome 2A. The protein localizes to the nucleus and exhibits sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription cis-regulatory region binding, and protein homodimerization activity. WRKY20 is associated with drought tolerance, abscisic acid-mediated signalling involved in stomatal movement, positive regulation of leaf senescence, and responses to jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, chitin, fungi, and bacteria. It is linked to wax, fatty acid, and phospholipid anabolism, as well as cell wall organization and gibberellic acid signalling. The gene has been connected to agronomically important traits including grain number, grain weight, grain yield, grain texture, plant height, booting time, days to flowering, leaf chlorophyll content, root length, salinity tolerance, and stripe rust disease response. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to jasmonate signalling and plant defence responses.