(maize gene reviews submitted to the Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter as a way to enable community curation of MaizeGDB are being moved, 2013-14, with author permissions to the wikipedia, and will be grouped to the wiki page maize genes. The initial summary statements for each gene have been previously included in MaizeGDB) Function. Regulation of
auxin transport during axillary
Meristem and lateral organ initiation.
Summary The
bif2 mutation affects all axillary
meristems in the plant. The tassel has fewer branches,
spikelets, florets and
floral organs (McSteen and Hake 2001). The ear shoot, if it forms, has very few kernels. The mutant plants also have defects in vegetative development as they make fewer tillers (in a
tb1 mutant background) and make one or two fewer leaves than normal. The
bif2 gene encodes a serine threonine protein kinase (McSteen et al 2007) that phosphorylates auxin efflux carrier ZmPIN1a (Skirpan et al 2008) and BHLH transcription factor BARREN STALK1 (Skirpan et al 2008).
First report. Briggs and Johal 1992
Chromosome Location Based on
B-A chromosomal translocation data and tight
linkage to the
RFLP marker
umc67a (McSteen and Hake 2001)
Genetically mapped
SNPs near the gene include rs131816257, rs131816315, and rs131816316.
Phenotypes Mutations in the gene produce plants where tassels, or male
inflorescences have fewer branches, spikelets, florets and floral organs. The ear shoot or female
inflorescence, if it forms, has very few
kernels. Natural variations of the
bif2 gene have been found to affect tassel branch number and plant height (Pressoir et al 2009) and BA2 proteins in vitro.
LINKS • MaizeGDB NCBI Gene UniProt Neuffer Phenotype Images ==References==