Plant 14-3-3 isoforms, similar to their highly conserved homologs in mammals, bind to phosphorylated target proteins to modulate their function. They have been implicated in a variety of physiological functions; in particular, abiotic and biotic stress responses, primary metabolism, as well as various aspects of plant growth and development. They function through the regulation of a diverse range of proteins including transcription factors, kinases, structural proteins, ion channels as well as pathogen defense-related proteins. The 14-3-3 proteins are affected transcriptionally as well as functionally by the environment of the plant, both intracellular and extracellular, thus playing a key role in the response to environmental stress, pathogens and light conditions. Plant 14-3-3 proteins have been divided into epsilon-like groups and non-epsilon groups based on phylogenetic clustering. They have a varying number of isoforms (for example, Arabidopsis has thirteen known protein isoforms, cotton has six) with variation in their affinity for specific binding partners, suggesting specific roles in specific processes.
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