LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) proteins and their encoding genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

ABSTRACT:

Background

LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) proteins have first been described about 25 years ago as accumulating late in plant seed development. They were later found in vegetative plant tissues following environmental stress and also in desiccation tolerant bacteria and invertebrates. Although they are widely assumed to play crucial roles in cellular dehydration tolerance, their physiological and biochemical functions are largely unknown.

Results

We present a genome-wide analysis of LEA proteins and their encoding genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified 51 LEA protein encoding genes in the Arabidopsis genome that could be classified into nine distinct groups. Expression studies were performed on all genes at different developmental stages, in different plant organs a

SUBMITTER: Hundertmark M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2292704 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature