Calreticulin: conserved protein and diverse functions in plants

Calreticulin (CRT) is a key Ca²⁺-binding protein mainly resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is highly conserved and extensively expressed in all eukaryotic organisms investigated. The protein plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes including Ca²⁺ signaling and protein...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiologia plantarum 2009-06, Vol.136 (2), p.127-138
Main Authors: Jia, Xiao-Yun, He, Li-Heng, Jing, Rui-Lian, Li, Run-Zhi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Calcium Signaling
Calreticulin - metabolism
Calreticulin - physiology
Endoplasmic Reticulum - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes, Plant
Glycosylation
Molecular Sequence Data
Plant Development
Plant physiology and development
Plants - metabolism
Protein Folding
Protein Isoforms - metabolism
Protein Isoforms - physiology
Sequence Alignment
Stress, Physiological
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Summary:Calreticulin (CRT) is a key Ca²⁺-binding protein mainly resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is highly conserved and extensively expressed in all eukaryotic organisms investigated. The protein plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes including Ca²⁺ signaling and protein folding. Although calreticulin has been well characterized in mammalian systems, increased investigations have demonstrated that plant CRTs have a number of specific properties different from their animal counterparts. Recent developments on plant CRTs have highlighted the significance of CRTs in plants growth and development as well as biotic and abiotic stress responses. There are at least two distinct groups of calreticulin isoforms in higher plants. Glycosylation of CRT was uniquely observed in plants. In this article, we will describe our current understanding of plant calreticulin gene family, protein structure, cellular localization, and diverse functions in plants. We also discuss the prospects of using this information for genetic improvements of crop plants.
ISSN:0031-9317
1399-3054
DOI:10.1111/j.1399-3054.2009.01223.x