LEA — Cicer arietinum

Summary

LOC101513498 (CaLEA, also known as CaDHN1) on chickpea chromosome 5 encodes a dehydrin family protein with a conserved dehydrin signature domain. The protein exhibits lipid binding activity, including binding to phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidate, and phosphoinositides, as well as metal binding. CaLEA is associated with seed development and germination, acquisition of desiccation tolerance, response to water and abscisic acid, cold acclimation, and ethylene anabolism. It localizes to the vesicle membrane, cytosol, and nucleus. The gene is linked to photosynthetic rate and seedling establishment. Related genes in other species are associated with drought tolerance, seed longevity, germination rate, seedling vigor, cell membrane stability, leaf relative water content, water use efficiency, and various growth and yield traits including seed size, plant height, and root length.