Wheat Proteomics for Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Root System Architecture: Current Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

Wheat is an important staple cereal for global food security. However, climate change is hampering wheat production due to abiotic stresses, such as heat, salinity, and drought. Besides shoot architectural traits, improving root system architecture (RSA) traits have the potential to improve yields under normal and stressed environments. RSA growth and development and other stress responses involve the expression of proteins encoded by the trait controlling gene/genes. Hence, mining the key proteins associated with abiotic stress responses and RSA is important for improving sustainable yields in wheat. Proteomic studies in wheat started in the early 21st century using the two-dimensional (2-DE) gel technique and have extensively improved over time with advancements in mass spectrometry. The availability of the wheat reference genome has allowed the exploration of proteomics to identify differentially expressed or abundant proteins (DEPs or DAPs) for abiotic stress tolerance and RSA improvement. Proteomics contributed significantly to identifying key proteins imparting abiotic stress tolerance, primarily related to photosynthesis, protein synthesis, carbon metabolism, redox homeostasis, defense response, energy metabolism and signal transduction. However, the use of proteomics to improve RSA traits in wheat is in its infancy. Proteins related to cell wall biogenesis, carbohydrate metabolism, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, and transportation are involved in the growth and development of several RSA traits. This review covers advances in quantification techniques of proteomics, progress in identifying DEPs and/or DAPs for heat, salinity, and drought stresses, and RSA traits, and the limitations and future directions for harnessing proteomics in wheat improvement.

Root System Architecture and Omics Approaches for Belowground Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants

“…In the roots of watermelon under drought stress, various proteolytic enzymes, such as leucine amino peptidase, enable the degradation of irreversibly impaired proteins [101]. In wheat, Rab24 protein accumulation was found to increase drought tolerance and root growth enhancement under drought-stress conditions [50]. These studies supported the fact that during drought stress in roots, defence-related proteins and PCD regulatory proteins are involved.…”

“…Salinity causes enhancement of NADH dehydrogenases, cytochrome C oxidases, and ATP synthase in roots of various plants. Some photosynthesis regulatory proteins, such as PPDK, increased the salinity-stress tolerance and root biomass in wheat under salt-stress conditions [50]. Enzymes related to glycolysis were also upregulated in the roots of various crops as a response to salinity [102].…”

Growth responses and genetic variation among highly ecologically diverse spring wheat genotypes grown under seawater stress

“…Salinity condition in arid and semi-arid regions occurs due to scanty precipitation and high evaporation (Dehnavi et al, 2020). The deficit in the freshwater supply is compensated by pumping excess ground water, especially in coastal areas (Halder et al, 2022). This situation results in high soluble salt contents (saline soils) and/or high sodium ion (Na + ) levels (sodic or saline-sodic soils) beneath the crop rooting zone (soil horizon; Sadeghi and Rostami, 2017).…”

“…Indeed, it provides 55% of the carbohydrates, 20% of the calories (Nahar et al, 2017;Seleiman et al, 2021), and essential microand macro-nutrients of the human diet. Considering that the international population is predicted to increase by 25% (to reach 10 billion) by 2050 (Halder et al, 2022), the current world production of wheat should be doubled (Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2022). Achieving this goal is particularly challenged by the greater frequency and number of climate change stressors including salinity.…”

Integrated omics approaches for flax improvement under abiotic and biotic stress: Current status and future prospects

“…Similarly, proteome analysis conjugated with physiological response in two maize varieties resistant to drought stress reported the role of HSP to be important in protecting plants from drought stress ( Li et al, 2021b ). Lately, Halder et al (2022) reviewed the role of proteomics for abiotic stress tolerance in wheat and presented a summary of proteomic studies on salinity, drought stress tolerance, and root system architecture conducted in the last decade.…”