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Identification, expression, and evolutionary analyses of plant lipocalins
Jean-Benoit Frenette Charron1, François Ouellet, Mélanie Pelletier
1Département des Sciences Biologiques , Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3P8.
Plant Physiology
|November 25, 2005
Summary
Plant lipocalins, including temperature-induced lipocalins (TILs) and chloroplastic lipocalins (CHLs), are crucial for abiotic stress response and freezing tolerance. These proteins likely protect the photosynthetic system from temperature stress.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Protein biochemistry
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Lipocalins are well-characterized in animals and bacteria, but poorly understood in plants.
- Previous work reported the cloning of the first true plant lipocalins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize plant lipocalins and lipocalin-like proteins.
- To investigate their roles in abiotic stress response and evolution.
Main Methods:
- Data mining
- Expression studies (quantitative real-time PCR)
- Cellular localization
- Phylogenetic analyses
Main Results:
- Plant lipocalins classified into temperature-induced lipocalins (TILs) and chloroplastic lipocalins (CHLs).
- Lipocalin-like proteins include violaxanthin de-epoxidases (VDEs) and zeaxanthin epoxidases (ZEPs).
- TILs localize to the plasma membrane; CHLs, VDEs, and ZEPs target the chloroplast.
- Expression of wheat lipocalins correlates with abiotic stress and freezing tolerance.
- Lipocalins found in stress-tolerant organisms (red algae, marine yeast).
Conclusions:
- Plant lipocalins (TILs and CHLs) are associated with abiotic stress response and freezing tolerance.
- Hypothesized protective function of lipocalins in the photosynthetic system against temperature stress.
- TILs likely inherited from bacterial genes; CHLs, VDEs, and ZEPs evolved from cyanobacterial genes.