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Title: Proteome analysis of leaves of the desiccation-tolerant grass, sporobolus stapfianus, in response to desiccation

Author
item Oliver, Melvin
item JAIN, RENUKA - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item AGRAWAL, GANESH - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item GASULLA, FRANCISCO - UNIVERSITY OF VALENCIA
item THELAN, JAY - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2008
Publication Date: 6/26/2008
Citation: Oliver, M.J., Jain, R., Agrawal, G., Gasulla, F., Thelan, J. 2008. Proteome analysis of leaves of the desiccation-tolerant grass, sporobolus stapfianus, in response to desiccation. American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting, June 26 - July 2, 2008, Merida, Mexico. 2008 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sporobolus stapfianus is a resurrection grass native to South Africa which can tolerate the complete drying of its vegetative tissue structure; i.e., desiccation, and recover fully within hours of rewetting. Gene expression studies have demonstrated that the grass employs a strategy of gene induction during drying that presumably allows for the grass to amass proteins that are directed at protecting the cell during the desiccation process. Much of this work has utilized transcript profiles to infer the nature of the gene products that are derived from the drying induced genes. Little in the way of direct protein identification has been employed in such assessments. To identify those proteins that accumulate in desiccation tolerant leaf tissues during the drying process, we have employed a strategy of 2-D Difference Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) coupled with individual protein identification using trypsin digestion (from silver stained replicates) and LC-MS/MS. The DIGE strategy allows us to identify those proteins that are not present in the fully hydrated unstressed leaves but are in air-dried tissues. Our analysis was able to detect 95 differentially expressed proteins; 41 exhibit statistically significant accumulation during drying, and 54 are significantly depressed in level as a result of desiccation. Of these proteins, using the Oryza sativa non-redundant database, we were able to reliably identify 77 from the MS/MS spectra of trypsin digest derived peptides. Protein identities suggest roles for energy metabolism, sugar metabolism, protein degradation and the possible sequestration of important chloroplastic proteins in the mechanism of vegetative desiccation tolerance employed by this resurrection grass.