H4 — Zea mays

Summary

ZmH4 (ZM00001EB123370) on maize chromosome 3 encodes a core histone H4 protein. The gene product possesses histone-fold and CENP-T/H4_C domains and is annotated with multiple chromatin-related molecular functions including DNA binding, histone binding, protein heterodimerization activity, and structural constituent of chromatin, as well as histone acetylase, deacetylase, and methylase activities. ZmH4 is associated with diverse biological processes such as chromatin decompaction, DNA replication licensing, telomeric silencing, mitosis, and sucrose breakdown. It has been linked to numerous agronomically important traits including grain yield, plant height, flowering time, anthesis time, seed maturation, heat and cold tolerance, salinity tolerance, bacterial blight disease resistance, heterosis, and shoot branching. The protein localizes to multiple cellular compartments including the nucleolus, thylakoid, chloroplast envelope, and plant-type vacuole.