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Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
Published on: May 21, 2020
Small heat shock proteins and stress tolerance in plants
Weining Sun1, Marc Van Montagu, Nathalie Verbruggen
1Vakgroep Moleculaire Genetica, Departement Plantengenetica, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Universiteit Gent, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
Abstract:
Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are produced ubiquitously in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells upon heat. The special importance of sHsps in plants is suggested by unusual abundance and diversity. Six classes of sHsps have been identified in plants based on their intracellular localization and sequence relatedness. In addition to heat stress, plant sHsps are also produced under other stress conditions and at certain developmental stages. Induction of sHsp gene expression and protein accumulation upon environmental stresses point to the hypothesis that these proteins play an important role in stress tolerance. The function of sHsps as molecular chaperones is supported by in vitro and in vivo assays. This review summarizes recent knowledge about plant sHsp gene expression, protein structure and functions.
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