Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Morphogenesis

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.

Cell Signaling in Plants

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...

The Phragmoplast

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...

The Phragmoplast

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...

The Apoplast and Symplast

The Apoplast and Symplast

Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...

Introduction to Plant Diversity

Introduction to Plant Diversity

From Water to Land

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Short-Term Heat Stress Differentially Affects the Photosynthetic Thermotolerance of Cotyledons and Early Orthotropic Leaves in <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. Seedlings.

Biology·2025

Same author

Characterization and description of plant-growth-promoting methanotrophic bacteria belonging to the genus of Methylocaldum.

Systematic and applied microbiology·2025

Same author

ATAD3 Proteins: Unique Mitochondrial Proteins Essential for Life in Diverse Eukaryotic Lineages.

Plant & cell physiology·2023

Same author

Organisms in a changing world.

Cell stress & chaperones·2023

Same author

Editorial: Identification and characterization of contrasting genotypes/cultivars to discover novel players in crop responses to abiotic/biotic stresses, volume II.

Frontiers in plant science·2023

Same author

Editorial: Identification and Characterization of Contrasting Genotypes/Cultivars to Discover Novel Players in Crop Responses to Abiotic/Biotic Stresses.

Frontiers in plant science·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Published on: January 20, 2023

The evolution, function, structure, and expression of the plant sHSPs.

Elizabeth R Waters¹

¹Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA. ewaters@mail.sdsu.edu

Journal of Experimental Botany

|December 21, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are ancient molecular chaperones found in all organisms. Despite sequence variation, conserved structures and functions in sHSPs aid in preventing protein misfolding and aggregation across life.

More Related Videos

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: May 29, 2010

Whole-mount Clearing and Staining of Arabidopsis Flower Organs and Siliques

Whole-mount Clearing and Staining of Arabidopsis Flower Organs and Siliques

Published on: April 12, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Published on: January 20, 2023

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: May 29, 2010

Whole-mount Clearing and Staining of Arabidopsis Flower Organs and Siliques

Whole-mount Clearing and Staining of Arabidopsis Flower Organs and Siliques

Published on: April 12, 2018

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are ubiquitous, ancient proteins essential across Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.
These molecular chaperones play a critical role in preventing protein misfolding and aggregation.
sHSPs exhibit significant diversity, particularly in plants, with distinct subfamilies and stress-responsive expression patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the conserved structural and functional features of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) across the three domains of life.
To highlight the evolutionary history and functional significance of sHSPs.
To discuss the variability and specialized roles of sHSPs in plants.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of sHSP structures from diverse organisms.
Review of existing literature on sHSP function and evolution.
Examination of sHSP expression patterns in response to various stressors.

Main Results:

Conserved structural features, including oligomeric form and beta-sandwich domains, are present in sHSPs despite primary sequence divergence.
sHSPs function as molecular chaperones, protecting client proteins from misfolding and aggregation.
Plants display exceptional sHSP diversity, with specialized subfamilies involved in thermotolerance, seed, and pollen expression.

Conclusions:

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are ancient, structurally conserved molecular chaperones vital for cellular proteostasis.
The diversity of sHSPs, especially in plants, reflects specialized adaptations to various environmental and developmental cues.
Further research over the next 15 years promises deeper insights into the complex roles of sHSPs.