PNH — Zea mays

Summary

ZmPNH (ZM00001EB053110) on maize chromosome 1 encodes a protein with Piwi and Argonaute domains, including PAZ and RNaseH-like folds, and has been annotated with siRNA and miRNA binding, as well as histone ubiquitin ligase and deubiquitinase activities. The gene is associated with miRNA metabolic processes, pre-miRNA processing, gene silencing by miRNA-directed mRNA cleavage, and tasiRNA biogenesis. It is linked to leaf polarity, leaf morphology, shoot apical meristem initiation, juvenile-to-adult transition, and auxin signaling. Associations with agronomic traits include ear weight, inflorescence branching, pedicel length, rolled leaf, photosynthetic ability, lignin biosynthesis, and root phototropism. The gene is also connected to drought stress response, virus resistance, female sterility, and cadmium uptake. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to shoot apical meristem formation, grain yield, panicle length, and antiviral immunity.