CUC2 — Asparagus officinalis

Summary

A4U43_C02F11410, symbol CUC2 (also known as AoCUC2, ANAC098, and AoANAC031) on asparagus chromosome 2, encodes a NAC-domain transcription factor with DNA-binding and transcription coactivator activity. The gene is associated with the regulation of plant organ formation, meristem initiation, organ boundary specification between lateral organs and the meristem, secondary shoot formation, lateral root morphogenesis, xylem development, and reproductive structure development. It has been linked to numerous agronomic traits including leaflet and leaf margin morphology, shoot system elongation, seed set percent, whole plant size, shoot branching, seed yield, pollen fertility, male sterility, gibberellic acid and cytokinin sensitivity, and vegetative growth time. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to cotyledon separation, leaf margin dissection, shoot meristem formation, drought tolerance, and male fertility.