HMG1 — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsHMG1, also known as HMG1, encodes a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) with NADPH activity, a key enzyme in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. This gene on chromosome 2 of garden lettuce is associated with the biosynthesis of sterols, triterpenoids, saponins, isoprenoids, terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids, as well as CoA and pyruvate metabolism. It is linked to responses to jasmonic acid and localizes to multiple membranes, including the endoplasmic reticulum, plastid, chloroplast, mitochondrion, and peroxisome. LsHMG1 is associated with plant height, biomass, flowering time, senescence, male fertility, and photosynthetic rate. It is also associated with seed phytosterol content, pathogen and wound responses, and herbivore resistance. Studies of related genes in other species link the HMGR family to isoprenoid biosynthesis, phytosterol content, disease resistance, and fruit development.