AP2 — Zea mays

Summary

ZmAP2 (ZM00001EB367750) on maize chromosome 8 encodes an RNA-polymerase-subunit kinase with CDK activity and RNA polymerase II CTD heptapeptide repeat kinase activity. The gene is associated with diverse biological processes including flower formation, sex determination, phloem development, regulation of root hair elongation, and shoot apical meristem development. It has been linked to numerous agronomic traits such as seed length, cob diameter, tassel branch number, anthesis silking interval, leaf angle, biomass yield, root volume, and drought tolerance. Localization evidence connects the product to the CESA complex, tonoplast, Golgi, and plasmodesmata. Related genes in other species are linked to floral development, ethylene-responsive gene expression, carpel development, seed weight, inflorescence size, and shoot meristem development.