Arabidopsis lipocalins AtCHL and AtTIL have distinct but overlapping functions essential for lipid protection and seed longevity.

Lipocalins are a group of multifunctional proteins, recognized as carriers of small lipophilic molecules, which have been characterized in bacteria and animals. Two true lipocalins have been recently identified in plants, the temperature-induced lipocalin (TIL) and the chloroplastic lipocalin (CHL), the expression of which is induced by various abiotic stresses. Each lipocalin appeared to be specialized in the responses to specific stress conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana, with AtTIL and AtCHL playing a protective role against heat and high light, respectively.