Resumen de Proteomic changes in the grains of foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) Beau) under drought stress
Jing Li, Xia Li, Qinghua Yang, Yan Luo, Xiangwei Gong, Wenli Zhang, Yungang Hu, Tianyu Yang, Kongjun Dong, Baili Feng
Drought has become a serious problem that threatens global food security. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) can be used as a model crop for drought-resistant research because of its excellent performance in drought tolerance. In this study, the typical drought-tolerant foxtail millet landrace ‘Huangjinmiao’ was grown in a field under control and drought stress conditions to investigate its response to drought stress. The proteins in the harvested grains were analysed through two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-tandem time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) analysis to characterize the response of foxtail millet under drought stress at a proteomic level. A total of 104 differentially abundant protein spots (DAPs) were identified; among them, 57 were up-regulated and 47 were down-regulated under drought treatment. The identified proteins were involved in an extensive range of biological processes, including storage proteins, protein folding, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, biosynthesis of amino acids, detoxification and defense, protein degradation, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, protein synthesis, energy metabolism, transporter, pentose phosphate pathway, and signal transduction. Post-translational protein modifications might also occur. Moreover, the albumin content greatly decreased under drought stress, whereas the gliadin content considerably increased (p<0.01). In conclusion, this study provides new information on the proteomic changes in foxtail millet under drought stress and a framework for further studies on the function of these identified proteins.
