CAD — Zea mays

Summary

ZM00001EB234730 (ZmCAD, CAD) on maize chromosome 5 encodes a cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase with aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase (NADP+) and coniferyl-alcohol dehydrogenase activities, belonging to the CAD-like family. The enzyme is associated with lignin metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and cell wall assembly, and localises to the apoplast, cytosol and plasmalemma. ZmCAD is linked to agronomically important traits including dry matter digestibility, lignin content, cellulose content, forage yield, biomass yield, culm strength, grain width and length, leaf angle, anthesis-silking interval, and nitrogen content. It is also connected to bract development, aerenchyma formation, C4 photosynthesis, hydrogen peroxide metabolism, and responses such as disease resistance, bacterial resistance, arsenic tolerance, and basal thermotolerance. Studies of related genes in other species link them to monolignol biosynthesis, plant defense, and lignin composition.