PNH — Zea mays

Summary

ZmPNH (ZM00001EB097500) on maize chromosome 2 encodes a protein containing Piwi and RNaseH-like domains, with annotated molecular functions including siRNA and miRNA binding, histone ubiquitin ligase activity, and DNA-binding transcription activator activity. The gene is associated with miRNA and long siRNA processing, gene silencing by miRNA-directed mRNA cleavage, somatic stem cell population maintenance, regulation of body size, and temporal regulation of development. It has been linked to drought stress response, leaf polarity and morphology, virus resistance, auxin signaling, juvenile-to-adult transition, and female sterility. Associations also include ear weight, inflorescence branching, leaf shattering, rolled leaf, photosynthetic ability, lignin biosynthesis, root phototropism, and gibberellic acid and cytokinin content. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to shoot apical meristem formation, leaf development, meiosis, antiviral immunity, and grain yield.