PNH — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsPNH, located on chromosome 4 of garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), encodes a protein with Piwi and Argonaute domains, and is associated with diverse molecular functions including histone ubiquitin ligase and deubiquitinase activities, dsRNA and siRNA binding, RNA endonuclease activity, and superoxide dismutase activity. The gene is linked to miRNA and siRNA processing, gene silencing, somatic stem cell maintenance, and temporal regulation of development. Associations with agronomically relevant traits include leaf morphology, leaf shattering, photosynthetic ability, vegetative growth time, flower development, seed dormancy, and virus resistance. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to leaf polarity, developmental timing, fruit yield, and heat tolerance.