Get to Know the BiP Genes from Bread Wheat

The endoplasmic reticulum chaperone binding protein (BiP) is important in protein synthesis, folding assembly, and secretion. To study the role of BiP in seed development of wheat, Capital Normal University's Yueming Yan and Xiaohui Li, and their team, cloned three BiP cDNA sequences in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and examined its expression.

Analysis showed that BiPs contain three highly conserved domains present in plants, animals, and microorganisms, indicating evolutionary conservation. It was also found that TaBiP (Triticum aestivum BiP) gene expression was predominantly localized to seed endosperm. Drought stress also significantly up-regulated the expression of TaBiPs in roots, leaves, and developing grains.

The high conservation of BiP sequences suggests that it plays the same role across species. The expression of TaBiP enzymes in different wheat tissues and under abiotic stress indicates that it is abundant in tissues with high secretory activity and with the high number of cells undergoing division. TaBiP genes are regulated during seed development and early seedling growth, and under various abiotic stresses.

For more on the study, visit: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2229/14/260.