AUTHOR=El-Sappah Ahmed H. , Li Jia , Yan Kuan , Zhu ChaoYang , Huang Qiulan , Zhu Yumin , Chen Yu , El-Tarabily Khaled A. , AbuQamar Synan F. TITLE=Fibrillin gene family and its role in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science VOLUME=15 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1453974 DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1453974 ISSN=1664-462X ABSTRACT=

Fibrillins (FBNs), highly conserved plastid lipid-associated proteins (PAPs), play a crucial role in plant physiology. These proteins, encoded by nuclear genes, are prevalent in the plastoglobules (PGs) of chloroplasts. FBNs are indispensable for maintaining plastid stability, promoting plant growth and development, and enhancing stress responses. The conserved PAP domain of FBNs was found across a wide range of photosynthetic organisms, from plants and cyanobacteria. FBN families are classified into 12 distinct groups/clades, with the 12th group uniquely present in algal–fungal symbiosis. This mini review delves into the structural attributes, phylogenetic classification, genomic features, protein–protein interactions, and functional roles of FBNs in plants, with a special focus on their effectiveness in mitigating abiotic stresses, particularly drought stress.