Armadillo repeat proteins: Versatile regulators of plant development and signalling

Abstract

Proteins containing tandem copies of the Armadillo repeat motif are evolutionarily ancient and have diverse cellular roles. Genome sequencing has revealed a plethora of Armadillo repeat-containing proteins in plants. Studies in Arabidopsis, Brassica, tobacco, potato and rice confirm that plant Armadillo repeat proteins have a wide range of biological functions. A large number of plant Armadillo proteins appear to regulate targeted protein degradation, which is a fundamental part of many plant developmental processes. This chapter will review the current knowledge of plant Armadillo protein functions during growth and development. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.