AP1C — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsAP1C (AP1C) on chromosome 3 of garden lettuce encodes a DNA-binding transcription factor with RNA polymerase II-specific activity, also annotated as a transcription corepressor with protein homodimerization and heterodimerization activities. It is associated with the maintenance of inflorescence and floral meristem identity, regulation of the vegetative-to-reproductive phase transition, vernalization response, floral organ senescence, abscission, and auxin polar transport. The gene is linked to numerous traits including flowering time, days to flowering, photoperiod-sensitive flowering, flower, sepal, petal, stamen, and inflorescence morphology, as well as anthocyanin content, photosynthetic rate, root length, chloroplast development, and responses to UV light, high temperature, and jasmonic acid. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to floral meristem determination, flower senescence, abscission, and stress responses including cold and drought tolerance.