Abstract
Dehydrins are intrinsically disordered proteins composed of several well conserved sequence motifs known as the Y-, S-, F-, and K-segments, the latter of which is a defining feature of all dehydrins. These segments are interspersed by regions of low sequence conservation and are organized modularly, which results in seven different architectures: Kn, SKn, YnSKn, YnKn, KnS, FnK and FnSKn. Dehydrins are expressed ubiquitously throughout the plant kingdom during periods of low intracellular water content, and are capable of improving desiccation tolerance in plants. In vitro evidence of dehydrins shows that they are involved in the protection of membranes, proteins and DNA from abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these actions are achieved are as of yet somewhat unclear. With regards to macromolecule cryoprotection, there is evidence to suggest that a molecular shield-like protective effect is primarily influenced by the hydrodynamic radius of the dehydrin and to a lesser extent by the charge and hydrophobicity. The interaction between dehydrins and membranes is thought to be a surface-level, charge-based interaction that may help to lower the transition temperature, allowing membranes to maintain fluidity at low temperatures and preventing membrane fusion. In addition, dehydrins are able to protect DNA from damage, showing that these abiotic stress protection proteins have multiple roles.
Highlights
Academic Editor: Daisuke TodakaWhen subjected to unfavorable abiotic stresses, plants are unable to move away from their surroundings and must instead rely on defense mechanisms for survival
We provide a summary of the discoveries pertaining to the biochemical function of dehydrins
These studies show that dehydrins are involved in multiple protective functions on very distinct biomacromolecules, including membrane lipids, proteins, and DNA
Summary
When subjected to unfavorable abiotic stresses, plants are unable to move away from their surroundings and must instead rely on defense mechanisms for survival. One of the molecular mechanisms with which a plant responds to abiotic stress is the expression of proteins in the late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) gene family. The expression of these proteins tends to coincide with increased desiccation tolerance This has been demonstrated by transgenic plants over many studies, and can be seen manifested in reduced electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation [11,12,13,14,15,16] as well as in improved growth and survival under conditions that represent desiccation [12,13,17].
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have