AT2G40140, also known as CZF1, SZF2, or ZFAR1, encodes a zinc finger protein with ankyrin-repeat domains. It belongs to the CCCH-type zinc finger family, characterized by cysteine and histidine residues coordinating zinc ions. Key features include:
Molecular function: RNA binding, nucleic acid metabolism, and stress response regulation .
Biological role: Mutants exhibit increased susceptibility to pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas syringae) and reduced salt tolerance, implicating it in abiotic and biotic stress pathways .
While no commercial antibody specific to AT2G40140 is explicitly detailed in the provided sources, its study likely relies on custom polyclonal antibodies. Such antibodies are critical for:
Localization studies: Tracking protein expression in plant tissues under stress.
Western blotting: Validating protein size (~50 kDa predicted) and expression levels in mutants .
Immunoprecipitation: Identifying interaction partners (e.g., RNA molecules or signaling proteins) .
Pathogen resistance: AT2G40140 knockdown lines show compromised defense against bacterial pathogens, suggesting a role in innate immunity .
Salt tolerance: Mutants display reduced survival under high salinity, linking the protein to ion homeostasis or osmotic stress signaling .
Gene regulation: The CCCH domain likely mediates post-transcriptional regulation of stress-responsive mRNAs .
Functional Background: Studies indicate that proteins homologous to the target antigen play a role in modulating salt stress tolerance in plants. For example, AtSZF1 and AtSZF2 negatively regulate the expression of salt-responsive genes and are critical in determining the level of salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. (See reference below).
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