InterPro domain: IPR000389

This entry contains the plant LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) proteins, which are small hydrophilic plant seed proteins that are structurally related.These proteins contains from 83 to 153 amino acid residues and may play a role[ 1 , 2 ] in equipping the seed for survival, maintaining a minimal level ofhydration in the dry organism and preventing the denaturation of cytoplasmiccomponents. They may also play a role during imbibition by controlling wateruptake.

1. Molecular Responses to Water Deficit. Plant Physiol. 103, 1035-1040
2. Two different Em-like genes are expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds during maturation. Mol. Gen. Genet. 238, 409-18