AP3 — Brassica napus

Summary

BnAP3 (DARMORV10_A09P47330.1) on chromosome A09 of oilseed rape encodes a MADS-box transcription factor with a K-box domain, functioning as a DNA-binding transcriptional regulator with RNA polymerase II-specific activity and protein heterodimerization capacity. This gene is associated with specification of petal and stamen identity, floral organ morphogenesis, and maintenance of floral meristem identity. It has been linked to numerous flower morphology traits including petal number, stamen length, carpel shape, and sepal morphology, as well as agronomically relevant traits such as cytoplasmic male sterility, heterosis, seed longevity, photoperiod-sensitive flowering time, and auxin sensitivity. The gene product localizes to the nucleus, cytosol, and plasmodesmata, and is associated with oxidative phosphorylation, cellular osmotic response, and activation of cellular response to heat stress. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to petal and stamen identity, floral organ development, and disease resistance.