CUC2 — Brassica napus

Summary

BnCUC2 (DARMORV10_A10P11320.1) on chromosome A10 of oilseed rape encodes a NAC-domain transcription factor with DNA binding, transcription coactivator activity and protein homodimerization activity. This gene is associated with shoot apical meristem development, organ boundary formation and specification, meristem initiation, secondary shoot formation, organogenesis, pistil development, xylem development, secondary growth, and regulation of nitrogen utilization. It has been connected to numerous agronomic traits including leaflet morphology, leaf margin serration, leaf length, seed set percent, seed yield, shoot axis branching, plant male sterility, pollen fertility, gibberellic acid and cytokinin sensitivity, vegetative growth time, and plant stress response. The encoded protein localizes to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, trans-Golgi network, and recycling endosome. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to cotyledon separation, embryonic shoot meristem formation, leaf margin dissection, and male fertility.