Wheat TaNACα18 functions as a positive regulator of high-temperature adaptive responses and improves cell defense machinery.

Global wheat production amounted to >780 MMT during 2022-2023 whose market size are valued at >$128 billion. Wheat is highly susceptible to high-temperature stress (HTS) throughout the life cycle and its yield declines 5-7% with the rise in each degree of temperature. Previously, we reported an array of HTS-response markers from a resilient wheat cv. Unnat Halna and described their putative role in heat acclimation. To complement our previous results and identify the key determinants of thermotolerance, here we examined the cytoplasmic proteome of a sensitive cv. PBW343. The HTS-triggered metabolite reprograming highlighted how proteostasis defects influence the formation of an integrated stress-adaptive response. The proteomic analysis identified several promising HTS-responsive proteins, including a NACα18 protein, designated TaNACα18, whose role in thermotolerance remains unknown. Dual localization of TaNACα18 suggests its crucial functions in the cytoplasm and nucleus. The homodimerization of TaNACα18 anticipated its function as a transcriptional coactivator. The complementation of TaNACα18 in yeast and overexpression in wheat demonstrated its role in thermotolerance across the kingdom. Altogether, our results suggest that TaNACα18 imparts tolerance through tight regulation of gene expression, cell wall remodeling and activation of cell defense responses.

Lithium isotopes differentially modify mitochondrial amorphous calcium phosphate cluster size distribution and calcium capacity.

Lithium is commonly prescribed as a mood stabilizer in a variety of mental health conditions, yet its molecular mode of action is incompletely understood. Many cellular events associated with lithium appear tied to mitochondrial function. Further, recent evidence suggests that lithium bioactivities are isotope specific. Here we focus on lithium effects related to mitochondrial calcium handling. Lithium protected against calcium-induced permeability transition and decreased the calcium capacity of liver mitochondria at a clinically relevant concentration. In contrast, brain mitochondrial calcium capacity was increased by lithium. Surprisingly, 7Li acted more potently than 6Li on calcium capacity, yet 6Li was more effective at delaying permeability transition. The size distribution of amorphous calcium phosphate colloids formed in vitro was differentially affected by lithium isotopes, providing a mechanistic basis for the observed isotope specific effects on mitochondrial calcium handling. This work highlights a need to better understand how mitochondrial calcium stores are structurally regulated and provides key considerations for future formulations of lithium-based therapeutics.

Metabolite profiling reveals overexpression of the global regulator, MoLAEA leads to increased synthesis of metabolites in Magnaporthe oryzae.

AIMS: To study the altered metabolic pathways and metabolites produced in overexpression and knockdown mutants of a global regulator named MoLAEA, which was recently found to regulate the expression of the genes involved in secondary metabolism in one of the most destructive plant pathogens, Magnaporthe oryzae. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mass spectrometry-based global untargeted metabolomic profiling was used to identify altered metabolites. Metabolites were extracted from the mutant strains of MoLAEA using two extraction methods viz., aqueous and organic extraction and data acquired using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in positive and negative polarities. Levels of metabolites involved in various biological pathways such as amino acid as well as polyamine biosynthesis, fatty acid and pyrimidine metabolism showed a remarkable change in the mutant strains. Interestingly, metabolites involved in stress responses were produced in higher quantities in the overexpression strain, whereas certain overproduced metabolites were associated with distinctive phenotypic changes in the overexpression strain compared with the wild type. Further, the expression of several genes involved in the stress responses was found to have higher expression in the overexpression strain. CONCLUSIONS: The global regulator MoLAEA is involved in secondary metabolism in the plant pathogen M. oryzae such that the mutant strains showed an altered level of several metabolites involved in the biosynthesis pathways compared with the wild type. Also, metabolites involved in stress responses were overproduced in the overexpression strain and this can be seen in the higher growth in media amended with stress-inducing agents or a higher expression of genes involved in stress response in the overexpression strain compared with the wild type. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report of metabolite profiling relative to the global regulation of secondary metabolism in M. oryzae, where secondary metabolism is poorly understood. It opens up avenues for more relevant investigations on the genetic regulation of several of the metabolites found in the analysis, which have not been previously characterized in M. oryzae.

Identifying Novel Genes and Proteins Involved in Salt Stress Perception and Signaling of Rice Seedlings.

Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide. Crop production is constrained markedly, however, by abiotic stresses such as salinity. To elucidate early stress response signaling networks involved in rice, we report in this study an original quantitative proteomic analysis of the rice seedlings subjected to short-term salt stress. We detected 570 differentially regulated proteins (DRPs) in the root sample. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that DRPs of the root were mainly involved in membrane trafficking, kinase activity, and ion toxicity responses. Interactome analysis revealed the central role of root proteins involved in membrane trafficking in the early response to salinity, such as cell surface receptor-like kinases (RLKs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs), calcium-dependent protein kinases 1 and 5, calcineurin B-like protein-interacting proteins, protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) inhibitors, and abscisic acid receptors (PYL5/10), indicating activation of S-type anion channel. Furthermore, the proteogenomic analysis revealed 128 unique genome search-specific peptides with high-quality mass spectromety (MS/MS) spectra. We identified 38 novel protein-coding genes, refined the annotation of 17 existing gene models, and suggested several novel stress-responsive proteins, such as RLK5, peroxidase 27, and growth-regulating factor 2. Novel peptides had an ortholog match in the curated protein sequence set of other plant species. In conclusion, this study identifies novel stress-responsive proteins and genes of rice, thus warrant future consideration as candidates for molecular breeding of stress-tolerant crop varieties.

Plant Phosphoproteomics: Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, and Unknown Unknowns of an Emerging Systems Science Frontier.

Plant systems science research depends on the dynamic functional maps of the biological substrates of plant phenotypes and host/environment interactions in diverse ecologies. In this context, high-resolution mass spectrometry platforms offer comprehensive insights into the molecular pathways regulated by protein phosphorylation. Reversible protein phosphorylation is a ubiquitous reaction in signal transduction mechanisms in biological systems. In contrast to human and animal biology research, a plethora of experimental options for functional mapping and regulation of plant biology are, however, not currently available. Plant phosphoproteomics is an emerging field of research that aims at addressing this gap in systems science and plant omics, and thus has a large scope to empower fundamental discoveries. To date, large-scale data-intensive identification of phosphorylation events in plants remained technically challenging. In this expert review, we present a critical analysis and overview of phosphoproteomic studies performed in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We discuss the technical strategies used for the enrichment of phosphopeptides and methods used for their quantitative assessment. Various types of mass spectrometry data acquisition and fragmentation methods are also discussed. The insights gathered here can allow plant biology and systems science researchers to design high-throughput function-oriented experimental workflows that elucidate the regulatory signaling mechanisms impacting plant physiology and plant diseases.

Protein Crotonylation Expert Review: A New Lens to Take Post-Translational Modifications and Cell Biology to New Heights.

Genome regulation, temporal and spatial variations in cell function, continues to puzzle and interest life scientists who aim to unravel the molecular basis of human health and disease, not to mention plant biology and ecosystem diversity. Despite important advances in epigenomics and protein post-translational modifications over the past decade, there is a need for new conceptual lenses to understand biological mechanisms that can help unravel the fundamental regulatory questions in genomes and the cell. To these ends, lys crotonylation (Kcr) is a reversible protein modification catalyzed by protein crotonyl transferases and decrotonylases. First identified on histones, Kcr regulates cellular processes at the chromatin level. Research thus far has revealed that Kcr marks promoter sites of active genes and potential enhancers. Eventually, Kcr on a number of nonhistone proteins was reported. The abundance of Kcr on ribosomal and myofilament proteins indicates its functional roles in protein synthesis and muscle contraction. Kcr has also been associated with pluripotency, spermiogenesis, and DNA repair. In plants, large-scale mass spectrometry-based experiments validated the roles of Kcr in photosynthesis. In this expert review, we present the latest thinking and findings on lys crotonylation with an eye to regulation of cell biology. We discuss the enrichment techniques, putative biological functions, and challenges associated with studying this protein modification with vast biological implications. Finally, we reflect on the future outlook about the broader relevance of Kcr in animals, microbes, and plant species.

Mapping Post-Translational Modifications in Brain Regions in Alzheimer's Disease Using Proteomics Data Mining.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia and a neurodegenerative disease. Proteomics and post-translational modification (PTM) analyses offer new opportunities for a comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology of brain in AD. We report here multiple PTMs in patients with AD, harnessing publicly available proteomics data from nine brain regions and at three different Braak stages of disease progression. Specifically, we identified 7190 peptides with PTMs, corresponding to 2545 proteins from brain regions with intermediate tangles, and 6864 peptides with PTMs corresponding to 2465 proteins from brain regions with severe tangles. A total of 103 proteins with PTMs were expressed uniquely to intermediate tangles and severe tangles compared to no tangles. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis suggested the association of these proteins in AD progression through platelet activation. These modified proteins were also found to be enriched for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, respiratory electron cycle, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species. The multi-PTM data reported here contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology of AD and highlight the prospects of omics systems science research in neurodegenerative diseases. The present study provides a region-wise classification for the proteins with PTMs along with their differential expression patterns, providing insights into the localization of these proteins upon modification. The catalog of multi-PTMs identified in the context of AD from different brain regions provides a unique platform for generating newer hypotheses in understanding the putative role of specific PTMs in AD pathogenesis.

Proteome dataset of chili pepper plant (Capsicum frutescens) infested by broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus).

The dataset presented in this article is associated with the TMT (Tandem mass tag) labeled proteomics of chili pepper plant (Capsicum frutescens) infested by a broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus). Data was captured using a nano liquid chromatography system coupled with high-resolution Orbitrap FusionTribridmass spectrometer. Proteomics data was analyzed using the Proteome Discoverer version 2.4 tool using MASCOT and SequestHT algorithms. We have identified a total of 5,807 proteins supported by 48,555 unique peptides and 1,279,655 peptide-spectrum matches. Individually, 5,186 proteins were detected in healthy leaf samples, 5,193 in infested leaf sample, 5,194 proteins in healthy meristem sample, and 5,196 proteins in infested meristem samples. Datasets obtained from reciprocal blast against the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome database enabled the prediction of protein-protein interactions, and subcellular localization of differentially expressed proteins, which are also included in this article. Data presented in this article has been deposited in the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE repository, which can be accessed through the accession ID: PXD018653.

Sca1+ Progenitor Cells (Ex vivo) Exhibits Differential Proteomic Signatures From the Culture Adapted Sca1+ Cells (In vitro), Both Isolated From Murine Skeletal Muscle Tissue.

Stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1) is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein that is expressed in a sub-population of muscle stem and progenitor cell types. Reportedly, Sca-1 regulates the myogenic property of myoblasts and Sca-1-/- mice exhibited defective muscle regeneration. Although the role of Sca-1 in muscle development and maintenance is well-acknowledged, molecular composition of muscle derived Sca-1+ cells is not characterized. Here, we applied a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based workflow to characterize the proteomic landscape of mouse hindlimb skeletal muscle derived Sca-1+ cells. Furthermore, we characterized the impact of the cellular microenvironments on the proteomes of Sca-1+ cells. The proteome component of freshly isolated Sca-1+ cells (ex vivo) was compared with that of Sca-1+ cells expanded in cell culture (in vitro). The analysis revealed significant differences in the protein abundances in the two conditions reflective of their functional variations. The identified proteins were enriched in various biological pathways. Notably, we identified proteins related to myotube differentiation, myotube cell development and myoblast fusion. We also identified a panel of cell surface marker proteins that can be leveraged in future to enrich Sca-1+ cells using combinatorial strategies. Comparative analysis implicated the activation of various pathways leading to increased protein synthesis under in vitro condition. We report here the most comprehensive proteome map of Sca-1+ cells that provides insights into the molecular networks operative in Sca-1+ cells. Importantly, through our work we generated the proteomic blueprint of protein abundances significantly altered in Sca-1+ cells under ex vivo and in vitro conditions. The curated data can also be visualized at https://yenepoya.res.in/database/Sca-1-Proteomics .

Predicted peptide patterns from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome for MS-MS based diagnosis.

COVID-19 caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV2) also known as SARS-CoV-2 has manifested globally since January 2020. COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic by the WHO and has become a serious global health concern. Real-time PCR based and antibody-based assays are being used for the clinical detection of the virus in body fluids and nasopharyngeal swabs. Antibody variability linked to viral mutations is a big concern. Hence, it is of interest to use data patterns from mass spectrometry-based platforms for the identification of SARS-CoV-2. This dataset can be used to perform targeted mass-spectrometric analysis of SARS-CoV-2 peptides. This work can be extrapolated for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral peptides in complex biological fluids for early diagnosis of COVID-19.

Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Broad Mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus)-Induced Proteomic Changes in Chili Pepper Plant (Capsicum frutescens).

Plant-pathogen interactions are key biological events that shape ecological dynamics, food production, agriculture and economy. In this context, Capsicum frutescens is an economically and culturally significant chili pepper plant grown widely across the globe as an essential ingredient of hot sauces, chili concentrates, oleoresin flavors, and also in traditional medicines. An important pathogen that limits chili cultivation causing low yield and economic loss is the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus. Broad mite-infested chili plants have stunted growth and leaves appear coppery and dark, which show symptoms of leaf curl and more importantly the smaller fruits unfit for consumption. The molecular mechanisms of how broad mite affect chili remain poorly understood. In this study, we report a tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeled mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomic analysis of leaves and apical meristems of healthy and infected chili pepper plants. In total, we identified 5799 proteins, of which 1677 proteins were found to be differentially regulated in infested plants. Related signaling pathways of the differentially expressed proteins were examined using bioinformatics tools. Predominantly, we identified pathways associated with jasmonic acid synthesis, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and plant defense and hormone signal transduction. We also observed upregulation of several enzymes of the phenylpropanoid and carotenoid biosynthetic pathways. This study provides the first in-depth proteomic analysis that correlates broad mite infestation in chili and dysregulation of various pathways that take part in plant defense. In the future, data can be extrapolated for innovation in pest management methods whose ecological footprints are better understood.

Plant Proteome Databases and Bioinformatic Tools: An Expert Review and Comparative Insights.

Historically, plant biology studies have lagged behind systems biology studies in animals and humans. However, there are signs of positive change as evidenced by the rise of big data in plant proteomics, and the availability of data science tools and next-generation sequencing technologies. Currently, the sequence information on nearly 300 plant species is available although they are curated to varying degrees of sophistication. This has led to significant enrichment of representations in the corresponding plant proteome databases. Analysis of the proteome component of an organism offers structural, functional, and network scale insights. Moreover, the development of high-throughput mass spectrometric techniques has augmented our understanding of proteins and their expression patterns under various conditions. Several thousand proteins can now be identified from a single mass spectrometric analysis. In this expert review, we provide an in-depth analysis on plant proteome databases, how to access them, and, importantly, the biological, research, and application contexts in which each database is significant, their comparative strengths, and limitations. We aimed in this analysis to reach out to young scholars embarking on plant biology and proteomic research as well as to those already established in the field so as to provide integrated critical analyses of plant proteome databases and bioinformatics tools in this nascent field of systems sciences. In conclusion, plant proteome research is an emerging and exciting frontier of integrative biology scholarship and innovation. Our future efforts must also be invested in integrating the available databases to allow for multiomics data analysis, research, and development.

Dehydration-responsive nuclear proteome landscape of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) reveals phosphorylation-mediated regulation of stress response.

Nonavailability of water or dehydration remains recurring climatic disorder affecting yield of major food crops, legumes in particular. Nuclear proteins (NPs) and phosphoproteins (NPPs) execute crucial cellular functions that form the regulatory hub for coordinated stress response. Phosphoproteins hold enormous influence over cellular signalling. Four-week-old seedlings of a grain legume, chickpea, were subjected to gradual dehydration, and NPs were extracted from unstressed control and from 72- and 144-hr stressed tissues. We identified 4,832 NPs and 478 phosphosites, corresponding to 299 unique NPPs involved in multivariate cellular processes including protein modification and gene expression regulation, among others. The identified proteins included several novel kinases, phosphatases, and transcription factors, besides 660 uncharacterized proteins. Spliceosome complex and splicing related proteins were dominant among differentially regulated NPPs, indicating their dehydration modulated regulation. Phospho-motif analysis revealed stress-induced enrichment of proline-directed serine phosphorylation. Association mapping of NPPs revealed predominance of differential phosphorylation of spliceosome and splicing associated proteins. Also, regulatory proteins of key processes viz., protein degradation, regulation of flowering time, and circadian clock were observed to undergo dehydration-induced dephosphorylation. The characterization of novel regulatory proteins would provide new insights into stress adaptation and enable directed genetic manipulations for developing climate-resilient crops.

Multi-Omics Driven Assembly and Annotation of the Sandalwood (Santalum album) Genome.

Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) is an important tropical evergreen tree known for its fragrant heartwood-derived essential oil and its valuable carving wood. Here, we applied an integrated genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approach to assemble and annotate the Indian sandalwood genome. Our genome sequencing resulted in the establishment of a draft map of the smallest genome for any woody tree species to date (221 Mb). The genome annotation predicted 38,119 protein-coding genes and 27.42% repetitive DNA elements. In-depth proteome analysis revealed the identities of 72,325 unique peptides, which confirmed 10,076 of the predicted genes. The addition of transcriptomic and proteogenomic approaches resulted in the identification of 53 novel proteins and 34 gene-correction events that were missed by genomic approaches. Proteogenomic analysis also helped in reassigning 1,348 potential noncoding RNAs as bona fide protein-coding messenger RNAs. Gene expression patterns at the RNA and protein levels indicated that peptide sequencing was useful in capturing proteins encoded by nuclear and organellar genomes alike. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic evidence provided an unbiased approach toward the identification of proteins encoded by organellar genomes. Such proteins are often missed in transcriptome data sets due to the enrichment of only messenger RNAs that contain poly(A) tails. Overall, the use of integrated omic approaches enhanced the quality of the assembly and annotation of this nonmodel plant genome. The availability of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data will enhance genomics-assisted breeding, germplasm characterization, and conservation of sandalwood trees.

Dissecting the chloroplast proteome of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) provides new insights into classical and non-classical functions.

Chloroplast, the energy organelle unique to plant cells, is a dynamic entity which integrates an array of metabolic pathways and serves as first level for energy conversion for the entire ecological hierarchy. Increasing amount of sequence data and evolution of mass spectrometric approaches has opened up new avenues for opportune exploration of the global proteome of this organelle. In our study, we aimed at generation of a comprehensive catalogue of chloroplast proteins in a grain legume, chickpea and provided a reference proteome map. To accurately assign the identified proteins, purity of chloroplast-enriched fraction was stringently monitored by multiple chemical and immunological indexes, besides pigment and enzyme analyses. The proteome analysis led to the identification of 2451 proteins, including 27 isoforms, which include predicted and novel chloroplast constituents. The identified proteins were validated through their sequence analysis. Extensive sequence based localization prediction revealed more than 50% proteins to be chloroplast resident by at least two different algorithms. Chromosomal distribution of identified proteins across nuclear and chloroplast genome unveiled the presence of 55 chloroplast encoded gene. In depth comparison of our dataset with the non-redundant set of chloroplast proteins identified so far across other species revealed novel as well as overlapping candidates. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pulses add large amount of nitrogen to the soil and has very low water footprint and therefore, contributes to fortification of sustainable agriculture. Chickpea is one of the earliest cultivated legumes and serves as an energy and protein source for humans and animals. Chloroplasts are the unique organelles which conduct photosynthesis. Investigation on chloroplast proteome is of particular significance, especially to plant biologists, as it would allow a better understanding of chloroplast function in plants. Generation of a saturated proteome map would not only validate the proteome inventory from its genome sequencing, but also serve as a comprehensive catalogue for future studies. We identified 2451 proteins, encoded by both the nuclear as well as chloroplast genomes, presumably involved in multivariate metabolic processes. The chloroplast deduced proteome and putative chloroplast proteins identified in this study would provide a foundation for future investigation of the expression and function of the chloroplast proteins of chickpea in specific and other crops species in general.

Quantitative Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Analysis of H37Ra and H37Rv Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, accounts for 1.5 million human deaths annually worldwide. Despite efforts to eradicate tuberculosis, it still remains a deadly disease. The two best characterized strains of M. tuberculosis, virulent H37Rv and avirulent H37Ra, provide a unique platform to investigate biochemical and signaling pathways associated with pathogenicity. To delineate the biomolecular dynamics that may account for pathogenicity and attenuation of virulence in M. tuberculosis, we compared the proteome and phosphoproteome profiles of H37Rv and H37Ra strains. Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis was performed using high-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry. Analysis of exponential and stationary phases of these strains resulted in identification and quantitation of 2709 proteins along with 512 phosphorylation sites derived from 257 proteins. In addition to confirming the presence of previously described M. tuberculosis phosphorylated proteins, we identified 265 novel phosphorylation sites. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed more than five-fold upregulation of proteins belonging to virulence associated type VII bacterial secretion system in H37Rv when compared to those in H37Ra. We also identified 84 proteins, which exhibited changes in phosphorylation levels between the virulent and avirulent strains. Bioinformatics analysis of the proteins altered in their level of expression or phosphorylation revealed enrichment of pathways involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and two-component regulatory system. Our data provides a resource for further exploration of functional differences at molecular level between H37Rv and H37Ra, which will ultimately explain the molecular underpinnings that determine virulence in tuberculosis.

Gel-based and gel-free search for plasma membrane proteins in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) augments the comprehensive data sets of membrane protein repertoire.

UNLABELLED: Plasma membrane (PM) encompasses total cellular contents, serving as semi-porous barrier to cell exterior. This living barrier regulates all cellular exchanges in a spatio-temporal fashion. Most of the essential tasks of PMs including molecular transport, cell-cell interaction and signal transduction are carried out by their proteinaceous components, which make the PM protein repertoire to be diverse and dynamic. Here, we report the systematic analysis of PM proteome of a food legume, chickpea and develop a PM proteome reference map. Proteins were extracted from highly enriched PM fraction of four-week-old seedlings using aqueous two-phase partitioning. To address a population of PM proteins that is as comprehensive as possible, both gel-based and gel-free approaches were employed, which led to the identification of a set of 2732 non-redundant proteins. These included both integral proteins having bilayer spanning domains as well as peripheral proteins associated with PMs through posttranslational modifications or protein-protein interactions. Further, the proteins were subjected to various in-silico analyses and functionally classified based on their gene ontology. Finally an inventory of the complete set of PM proteins, identified in several monocot and dicot species, was created for comparative study with the generated PM protein dataset of chickpea. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Chickpea, a rich source of dietary proteins, is the second most cultivated legume, which is grown over 10 million hectares of land worldwide. The annual global production of chickpea hovers around 8.5 million metric tons. Recent chickpea genome sequencing effort has provided a broad genetic basis for highlighting the important traits that may fortify other crop legumes. Improvement in chickpea varieties can further strengthen the world food security, which includes food availability, access and utilization. It is known that the phenotypic trait of a cultivar is the manifestation of the orchestrated functions of its proteins. Study of the PM proteome offers insights into the mechanism of communication between the cell and its environment by identification of receptors, signalling proteins and membrane transporters. Knowledge of the PM protein repertoire of a relatively dehydration tolerant chickpea variety, JG-62, can contribute in development of strategies for metabolic reprograming of crop species and breeding applications.

Nuclear phosphoproteome of developing chickpea seedlings (Cicer arietinum L.) and protein-kinase interaction network.

Nucleus, the control centre of eukaryotic cell, houses most of the genetic machineries required for gene expression and their regulation. Post translational modifications of proteins, particularly phosphorylation control a wide variety of cellular processes but its functional connectivity, in plants, is still elusive. This study profiled the nuclear phosphoproteome of a grain legume, chickpea, to gain better understanding of such event. Intact nuclei were isolated from 3-week-old seedlings using two independent methods, and nuclear proteins were resolved by 2-DE. In a separate set of experiments, phosphoproteins were enriched using IMAC method and resolved by 1-DE. The separated proteins were stained with phosphospecific Pro-Q Diamond stain. Proteomic analyses led to the identification of 107 putative phosphoproteins, of which 86 were non-redundant. Multiple sites of phosphorylation were predicted on several key elements, which included both regulatory and functional proteins. The analysis revealed an array of phosphoproteins, presumably involved in a variety of cellular functions, viz., protein folding (24%), signalling and gene regulation (22%), DNA replication, repair and modification (16%), and metabolism (13%), among others. These results represent the first nucleus-specific phosphoproteome map of a non-model legume, which would provide insights into the possible function of protein phosphorylation in plants. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Chickpea is grown over 10 million hectares of land worldwide, and global production hovers around 8.5 million metric tons annually. Despite its nutritional merits, it is often referred to as 'orphan' legume and has remained outside the realm of large-scale functional genomics studies. While current chickpea genome initiative has primarily focused on sequence information and functional annotation, proteomics analyses are limited. It is thus important to study the proteome of the cell organelle particularly the nucleus, which harbors most of the genetic information and gene expression machinery. Phosphorylation-dependent modulation of gene expression plays a vital role but the complex networks of phosphorylation are poorly understood. This inventory of nuclear phosphoproteins would provide valuable insights into the dynamic regulation of cellular phenotype through phosphorylation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.

Membrane-associated proteomics of chickpea identifies Sad1/UNC-84 protein (CaSUN1), a novel component of dehydration signaling.

Dehydration affects almost all the physiological processes including those that result in the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which in turn elicits a highly conserved signaling, the unfolded protein response (UPR). We investigated the dehydration-responsive membrane-associated proteome of a legume, chickpea, by 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 184 protein spots were significantly altered over a dehydration treatment of 120 h. Among the differentially expressed proteins, a non-canonical SUN domain protein, designated CaSUN1 (Cicer arietinum Sad1/UNC-84), was identified. CaSUN1 localized to the nuclear membrane and ER, besides small vacuolar vesicles. The transcripts were downregulated by both abiotic and biotic stresses, but not by abscisic acid treatment. Overexpression of CaSUN1 conferred stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, functional complementation of the yeast mutant, slp1, could rescue its growth defects. We propose that the function of CaSUN1 in stress response might be regulated via UPR signaling.

Comparative proteomics of dehydration response in the rice nucleus: new insights into the molecular basis of genotype-specific adaptation.

Dehydration is the most crucial environmental factor that considerably reduces the crop harvest index, and thus has become a concern for global agriculture. To better understand the role of nuclear proteins in water-deficit condition, a nuclear proteome was developed from a dehydration-sensitive rice cultivar IR-64 followed by its comparison with that of a dehydration-tolerant c.v. Rasi. The 2DE protein profiling of c.v. IR-64 coupled with MS/MS analysis led to the identification of 93 dehydration-responsive proteins (DRPs). Among those identified proteins, 78 were predicted to be destined to the nucleus, accounting for more than 80% of the dataset. While the detected number of protein spots in c.v. IR-64 was higher when compared with that of Rasi, the number of DRPs was found to be less. Fifty-seven percent of the DRPs were found to be common to both sensitive and tolerant cultivars, indicating significant differences between the two nuclear proteomes. Further, we constructed a functional association network of the DRPs of c.v. IR-64, which suggests that a significant number of the proteins are capable of interacting with each other. The combination of nuclear proteome and interactome analyses would elucidate stress-responsive signaling and the molecular basis of dehydration tolerance in plants.