HIRA — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsHIRA, encoded by the garden lettuce gene LSAT_V11C600314050 on chromosome 6, is a member of the HIRA/HIR1 protein family characterized by WD40 repeats and a HIRA-like C-terminal domain. The gene product possesses ubiquitin ligase activator activity, structural constituent of chromatin activity, and DNA binding activity. LsHIRA is associated with nucleosome assembly, DNA replication-dependent chromatin assembly, chromatin remodeling, and cell cycle control, including mitotic cell size checkpoint signaling and anaphase-promoting complex-dependent catabolic processes. It has been linked to agronomically relevant traits such as flowering time, seed growth and development, stem elongation, lignin biosynthesis, and responses to high temperature and UV-B stress. The gene is also connected to trichome branching, male gamete development, and fertility. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to histone H3.3 deposition, thermomorphogenesis, and shade avoidance.