WUS — Nicotiana attenuata

Summary

A4A49_17595 (WUS) in coyote tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata) on chromosome 7 encodes a WUSCHEL-like homeobox transcription factor with DNA, RNA, mRNA, and protein binding activity. It is associated with stem cell population maintenance, shoot apical meristem identity and maintenance, axillary shoot meristem initiation, plant organ formation, regeneration, embryogenesis, stamen and anther development, stomium development, and root hair tip growth. The gene is linked to traits including floral organ size, heterosis, cytoplasmic male sterility, auxin sensitivity, flowering time, leaf morphology and composition, seed maturation, root meristem development, and plant stress response. It is also connected to phenotypes such as reduced apical dominance, shoot branching, chlorophyll accumulation, and arrested embryo development. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to shoot meristem regulation, stem cell maintenance, and somatic embryogenesis.