AP3 — Brassica napus

Summary

BnAP3 (AP3) on chromosome C08 of oilseed rape encodes a MADS-box transcription factor with a K-box domain, possessing DNA-binding, transcription regulatory, and protein heterodimerization activities. It is associated with specification of petal and stamen identity, floral organ morphogenesis, and maintenance of floral meristem identity. The gene is linked to numerous flower morphology traits including petal number, stamen length, and carpel shape, as well as cytoplasmic male sterility, heterosis, photoperiod-sensitive flowering time, seed longevity, and leaf morphology traits. It is associated with responses to silver ion, actidione, osmotic stress, and heat stress, and with processes including oxidative phosphorylation, meiosis, megagametogenesis, and mucilage extrusion from seed coat. Related genes in other species are linked to floral organ identity, petal and stamen formation, and disease resistance.