WUS — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsWUS (LSAT_V11C200077860) on lettuce chromosome 2 encodes a homeodomain-containing transcription factor with DNA, RNA and protein binding activity, belonging to the WUSCHEL-like family. In lettuce, it is associated with stem cell population maintenance, shoot apical meristem identity and maintenance, axillary shoot meristem initiation, flower and anther development, stomium development, embryo development, callus formation, regeneration, cell division, root hair tip growth, circadian rhythm, and rRNA, snoRNA and tRNA processing. The gene is linked to numerous traits including meristem identity, floral organ size and development, leaf morphology and position, shoot axis branching, root meristem development, auxin sensitivity, flowering time, seed maturation, and plant stress response. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to embryonic development, stem cell maintenance, shoot meristem regulation, and somatic embryogenesis.