MADS-box

The MADS box is a conserved

The first MADS-box gene to be identified was ARG80 from budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae,^[9] but was at that time not recognized as a member of a large gene family. The MADS-box gene family got its name later as an acronym referring to the four founding members,^[1] ignoring ARG80:

• MCM1 from the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
• AGAMOUS from the thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana,
• DEFICIENS from the snapdragon Antirrhinum majus,^[10]
• Homo sapiens
  .

In A. thaliana, A. majus, and

MADS-box genes were detected in nearly all eukaryotes studied.[8] While the genomes of animals and fungi generally possess only around one to five MADS-box genes, genomes of flowering plants have around 100 MADS-box genes.^[12][13] Two types of MADS-domain proteins are distinguished; the SRF-like or Type I MADS-domain proteins and the MEF2-like (after

MADS-box is under-studied in wheat as of 2021[update].^[19]

In

MADS-box genes have a variety of functions. In animals, MADS-box genes are involved in muscle development and cell proliferation and differentiation.^[14] Functions in fungi range from pheromone response to arginine metabolism.^[14]

In plants, MADS-box genes are involved in controlling all major aspects of development, including male and female gametophyte development, embryo and seed development, as well as root, flower and fruit development.^[12][13]

Some MADS-box genes of flowering plants have homeotic functions like the