SK n

late in embryogenesis and in response to stress leading to cell dehydration (e.g., drought, low temperature, and salinity).2 The expression pattern of group 2 LEA genes is frequently associated with higher tolerance of crop plants to abiotic stresses such as cold3 and drought.4-6 All dehydrins have at least one conserved, lysine-rich 15-amino acid domain, EKK-GIMDKIK EKLPG, named the K-segment near the C-termi-nus, and some of them may have a track of Ser residues (the S-segment), and/or a consensus motif (in one or more copies), T/VDEYGNP (Y-segment) located near the N-terminus.2 The number and order of the Y-, S-, and K-segments define dif-ferent dehydrin sub-classes: