NIR — Zea mays

Summary

ZmNIR (ZM00001EB193660) on maize chromosome 4 encodes a ferredoxin-nitrite reductase with NO-forming nitrite reductase and sulfite reductase (ferredoxin) activities, containing 4Fe-4S cluster and siroheme-binding domains. The gene is associated with nitrogen utilization and fixation, denitrification, sulfate assimilation, siroheme anabolism, and urea metabolism. ZmNIR localizes to chloroplast stroma and nucleoids, mitochondria, and the apoplast. It has been linked to numerous agronomic traits including nitrogen content, nitrate content and uptake, carbon content, rubisco content, net photosynthetic rate, canopy temperature, leaf relative water content, seed weight, harvest index, root branching and hair density, lateral root number and length, shoot and root dry weight, soluble protein and amino acid content, sugar content, and crop stand. The gene is also connected to nitrate-responsive gene expression and regulation, and plant growth. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to grain protein content, leaf protein content, nitrogen metabolism, and acid rain resistance.