Yeast complementation reveals a role for an Arabidopsis thaliana late embryogenesis abundant (LEA)-like protein in oxidative stress tolerance

Abstract

A functional cloning approach using the oxidant-sensitive yeast mutant, Δyap1, was employed to identify plant genes involved in tolerance of oxidative stress. In this screen, we identified an Arabidopsis late embryogenesis-abundant (LEA)-like protein, AtLEA5, which increased the tolerance of Δyap1 cells to the oxidants H2O2, diamide, menadione and tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Unlike canonical LEAs, AtLEA5 is constitutively expressed in roots and reproductive organs but not in seeds. In leaves of short-day grown plants, AtLEA5 transcripts exhibited a diurnal pattern of regulation, where transcripts were repressed in the light and abundant in the dark. Expression of AtLEA5 in leaves was induced by oxidants, ABA and dehydration...