Thaumatin-like Proteins in Legumes: Functions and Potential Applications—A Review

TL;DR

This review explores the roles of Thaumatin-like proteins in legumes, focusing on their defense functions and potential for crop improvement.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of TLPs in legumes, highlighting their roles in stress resistance and plant development.

Findings

TLPs are involved in resistance to fungal diseases in legumes.

TLPs contribute to phytohormone response and root nodule formation.

Further research is needed to understand TLP mechanisms for breeding applications.

Abstract

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) comprise a complex and evolutionarily conserved protein family that participates in host defense and several developmental processes in plants, fungi, and animals. Importantly, TLPs are plant host defense proteins that belong to pathogenesis-related family 5 (PR-5), and growing evidence has demonstrated that they are involved in resistance to a variety of fungal diseases in many crop plants, particularly legumes. Nonetheless, the roles and underlying mechanisms of the TLP family in legumes remain unclear. The present review summarizes recent advances related to the classification, structure, and host resistance of legume TLPs to biotic and abiotic stresses; analyzes and predicts possible protein–protein interactions; and presents their roles in phytohormone response, root nodule formation, and symbiosis. The characteristics of TLPs provide them with broad prospects for plant breeding and other uses. Searching for legume TLP genetic resources and functional genes, and further research on their precise function mechanisms are necessary.

Figures