Abstract
Plants, throughout their life cycle, are exposed to vagaries of biotic and
abiotic stresses. To alleviate the stresses, plants have developed different molecular
response systems. One such response is the high-level accumulation of Late
Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins, a group of hydrophilic proteins encoded by
a set of genes during seed dehydration, at the late stage of embryogenesis. These
proteins are reported not just in plants, but also in algae, bacteria, and nematodes. LEA
proteins are reported to play a versatile role in stress tolerance. This chapter discusses
the classification, distribution, characterization, and functions of LEA proteins and
their implications for plant stress tolerance.
Keywords: Drought, Late Embryogenesis Abundant proteins, Plant stress, Salinity
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