UFO — Oryza sativa Japonica

Summary

OS06G0665400 (UFO/APO1) on rice chromosome 6 encodes an F-box protein, a component of SCF ubiquitin ligase complexes, with DNA-binding, transcription factor, and ubiquitin-protein transferase activities. It is associated with meristem maintenance, inflorescence meristem identity, floral meristem determinacy, shoot apical meristem development, and regulation of vasculature development. The gene is linked to numerous agronomically important traits including grain number, panicle size and architecture, spikelet number, culm strength and diameter, leaf elongation rate, and canopy temperature. It has been connected to bacterial disease response, male sterility, and molybdenum content. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to floral meristem identity, petal and stamen development, inflorescence architecture, and photomorphogenic development.