CUC1 — Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary

AT3G15170 (CUC1) encodes a NAC domain-containing transcription factor that binds DNA and localises to the nucleus. In Arabidopsis, CUC1 is associated with cotyledon separation, floral organ separation, embryonic shoot meristem formation, and boundary specification between lateral organs and the meristem. It is associated with perianth and petal development, leaf shaping, organ growth, meristem initiation, and cell fate determination. The gene has been linked to numerous traits including leaflet and cotyledon morphology, petal number and size, stamen number, shoot meristem development, seed yield, root length, drought tolerance, salt response, and respiration rate. CUC1 is also linked to adventitious shoot formation, shoot regeneration, ovule number, carpel fusion, and leaf serration. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to plant height, chlorophyll content, fruit size, and water use efficiency.