Differences in the Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) Flag Leaf 2-DE Protein Profile between Varieties and Nitrogen Fertilization Levels

Abstract

Nitrogen nutrition is one of the major factors limiting the growth and production of crop plants. Limited information on proteome changes occurring in response to nitrogen amount have been available up to now. We used 2-DE to investigate proteome differences between two triticale varieties and the changes caused by nitrogen nutrition deficit in the flag leaf tissue. Some physiological features, such as the number of tillers per plant, SPAD index, dry weight, and protein content were measured previous to the proteomic analysis. Statistical analysis identified 29 differential protein spots in the selected pairwise comparisons of experimental conditions and correlated with the expression cluster revealed by the principal component analysis. The 29 protein spots were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) to deduce their possible functions. Many of these changes referred to enzymes involved in photosynthesis, metabolic pathways implicated in the balance of the energy, and redox status of the cell. This work provides a first characterization of the proteome changes that occur in response to nitrogen deficit in flag leaves of triticale plants.

Responses of barley root and shoot proteomes to long‐term nitrogen deficiency, short‐term nitrogen starvation and ammonium

“…In shoots, the combination of an increase in MDHAR with a decrease in APX may result in an increased level of ascorbate. This is in contrast with the situation observed in triticale flag leaf, in which both SOD and APX increased under low N (Castillejo et al . 2010).…”

“…Three spots containing carbonic anhydrase (sL20/sA27, sL22, sL24/sA29) also decreased. Triose phosphate isomerase was also reported to increase in response to low N in triticale flag leaf (Castillejo et al . 2010) and in maize leaves responding to resupply of N after starvation (Prinsi et al .…”

“…2004). Cysteine synthase was observed to decrease in triticale leaves grown with low N (Castillejo et al . 2010).…”

“…2004; Prinsi et al . 2009; Castillejo et al . 2010), however, only minor overlap was found among the individual proteins identified in these studies.…”

“…2010). The flag‐leaf proteome of two triticale varieties was analysed after growth on perlite/nutrient medium for 2 months with low (1 m m ) or high (5 m m ) nitrate and 29 protein spots varying between varieties and/or treatments were identified (Castillejo, Kirchev & Jorrin 2010). A parallel study of roots and leaves of the C 4 cereal maize was carried out using a hydroponic growth system in which 10 m m nitrate was resupplied to N‐starved plants for 30 h (Prinsi et al .…”