PNH — Zea mays

Summary

ZM00001EB185990 (ZmPNH) on maize chromosome 4 encodes a Piwi domain-containing protein. The gene is associated with diverse molecular functions including histone ubiquitin ligase activity, histone H2B deubiquitinase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, L-ascorbate peroxidase activity, and siRNA/miRNA binding. It is linked to miRNA metabolic process, gene silencing by miRNA, somatic stem cell population maintenance, and temporal regulation of development. Observed associations include drought stress response, leaf polarity, leaf morphology, virus resistance, auxin signaling, and the juvenile-to-adult transition. The gene is also connected to traits such as ear weight, inflorescence branching, photosynthetic ability, lignin biosynthesis, root phototropism response, and responses to UV-A and UV-B light, osmotic response sensitivity, and metal stress response. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to shoot apical meristem formation, leaf development, meiosis, antiviral immunity, and grain yield.