Structural transitions in the intrinsically disordered plant dehydration stress protein LEA7 upon drying are modulated by the presence of membranes

►LEA7 is a plant IDP that is abundant in seeds and in vegetative tissues under stress conditions. ►It is largely unstructured in solution, but folds and partially aggregates upon dehydration. ►The presence of membranes induces folding into an α-helix during drying and suppresses aggregation. ►LEA7 interacts with lipid membranes in the dry state, partially through the lipid phosphate groups, and depresses the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature of the membranes.