AP2 — Zea mays

Summary

ZM00001EB103870, designated ZmAP2 on maize chromosome 2, encodes a protein with a kinase-like domain and CDK activity, and is annotated with RNA polymerase II CTD heptapeptide repeat kinase activity and protein-cysteine S-palmitoyltransferase activity. The gene is associated with a wide range of biological processes including flower formation, sex determination, phloem development, and regulation of root hair elongation, as well as responses to stimulus and apoptotic processes. It has been linked to numerous agronomic traits such as seed length, cob diameter, tassel branch number, anthesis-silking interval, biomass yield, leaf angle, root volume, and drought tolerance. Additionally, ZmAP2 is connected to phenotypes including floral development, ethylene-responsive gene expression, cold stress tolerance, and root meristem growth. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to floral meristem development, ovule number, and root hair growth.