ABSTRACT
In plants, proteins with high glycine content, named glycine-rich proteins (GRPs), alongside proteins with a glycine-rich domain (GRDPs), have been reported to play an important role in growth and development, and in the response to biotic and abiotic stress. A proposed classification of the glycine-rich proteins has been made based on the motifs and domains present in the protein structure, including signal peptides, the oleosin domain, RNA recognition motifs, cold-shock domains and zinc finger domains, among others. The interest of the molecular and functional characterization of these proteins is increasing. For this reason, in this chapter, we review some of the most relevant studies on GRPs and GRDPs that have been characterized by their roles in plant development and abiotic stress tolerance. We have covered several aspects such as differential gene expression patterns, intracellular localization and functional activity. From the above, we can deduce that GRPs and GRDPs are important candidates of study that could be used for crop improvement by agricultural biotechnology.
