Bz1 — Zea mays

Summary

ZM00001EB107750, designated Bz1 on maize chromosome 2, encodes a UDP-glycosyltransferase with multiple flavonoid glycosyltransferase activities, including anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase, flavonol 3-O-glucosyltransferase, and flavonol 3-O-arabinosyltransferase activity. The gene is directly associated with anthocyanin accumulation in maize and is linked to anthocyanin biosynthesis, flavonol glycoside biosynthesis, and quercetin and cyanidin glucoside metabolism. Bz1 has been connected to plant stress response, photosynthetic rate, root morphology, and plant growth and development traits. The encoded protein localizes to the cytosol, nucleus, Golgi, vacuole, apoplast, and plasmodesmata. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to flavonoid glycosylation, while sequence similarity connections associate the broader gene family with grain color, yield, plant height, heat tolerance, and germination rate.