AP3 — Brassica juncea

Summary

BJUA04G04640S (BjAP3, AP3) on Indian mustard chromosome A04 encodes a MADS-box transcription factor with DNA-binding, protein dimerization and RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory activity. The gene is associated with specification of floral organ, petal and stamen identity, maintenance of floral meristem identity, carpel and pistil development, seed coat development, megagametogenesis, and responses to silver ion, actidione, biotic stimulus and heat stress. It has been linked to numerous traits including flower morphology, petal number and morphology, stamen length and morphology, carpel shape, leaf margin morphology, trichome morphology, seed longevity, cytoplasmic male sterility, photoperiod-sensitive flowering time, auxin sensitivity, jasmonic acid content, high temperature stress response and root length. The protein localizes to the nucleus, cytosol, plasmodesma, endosperm protein body and ISWI-type complex. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to petal and stamen identity, floral organ development, osmotic stress tolerance, disease resistance and heterosis.