ZIP — Brassica napus

Summary

BnZIP (ZIP, AGO7) on chromosome A07 of oilseed rape encodes a protein with Piwi and Argonaute domains and RNA endonuclease activity, and binds RNA. The gene is associated with gene silencing by miRNA, posttranscriptional gene silencing, and ta-siRNA and lsiRNA processing. It is associated with temporal regulation of development, vegetative phase change, maintenance of shoot apical meristem identity, stem cell population maintenance, histogenesis, and both female and male gametogenesis. Associations also include leaf morphology, leaf polarity, leaf shape, developmental timing, juvenile-to-adult transition, auxin signalling, antiviral resistance, and detoxification. The encoded protein localises to the nucleus, nucleolus, and cytoplasm. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to leaf rolling, leaf colour, root length, drought tolerance, and zinc concentration.