LEA — Cucumis melo

Summary

MELO3C016402.2, designated CmLEA on melon chromosome 8, encodes a dehydrin family protein with lipid-binding properties, including phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidate and phosphoinositide binding, as well as metal binding. This gene is associated with seed dehydration, embryogenesis, cold acclimation, and cellular responses to drought, salinity, light stimulus, abscisic acid, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. It is linked to defence against fungi, photosynthetic rate, and traits such as freezing and cold stress tolerance, osmotic and salt stress tolerance, membrane stability, seedling establishment, and dehydration and abscisic acid responses. The protein localises to the vesicle membrane, membrane, cytosol, cytoplasm and nucleus. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to drought tolerance, salt tolerance, ABA sensitivity, and seed maturation traits.