Identification of proteins associated with bast fiber growth of ramie by differential proteomic analysis

Fu Li,Zheng Zeng,Yanzhou Wang,Touming Liu,Renyan Huang

doi:10.1186/s12864-021-08195-9

Abstract

BackgroundRamie is an important fiber-producing crop in China, and its fibers are widely used as textile materials. Fibers contain specialized secondary cellular walls that are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Understanding the mechanism underlying the secondary wall biosynthesis of fibers will benefit the improvement of fiber yield and quality in ramie.ResultsHere, we performed a proteomic analysis of the bark from the top and middle parts of the stem, where fiber growth is at different stages. We identified 6971 non-redundant proteins from bast bark. Proteomic comparison revealed 983 proteins with differential expression between the two bark types. Of these 983 proteins, 46 were identified as the homolog of known secondary wall biosynthetic proteins of Arabidopsis, indicating that they were potentially associated with fiber growth. Then, we proposed a molecular model for the secondary wall biosynthesis of ramie fiber. Furthermore, interaction analysis of 46 candidate proteins revealed two interacting networks that consisted of eight cellulose biosynthetic enzymes and seven lignin biosynthetic proteins, respectively.ConclusionThis study sheds light on the proteomic basis underlying bast fiber growth in ramie, and the identification of many candidates associated with fiber growth provides important basis for understanding the fiber growth in this crop.

Highlights

Ramie is an important fiber-producing crop in China, and its fibers are widely used as textile materials
Mutation of Arabidopsis cellulose synthase (CesA) genes causes a severe reduction in cellulose content and secondary wall thickening, and its xylem fibers are unable to support the erect phenotype [1], suggesting that the biosynthesis is crucial for the fiber growth, Currently, In Arabidopsis, hundreds of genes participate in the biosynthesis of secondary walls, and they are co-ordinately turned on temporally and spatially, which is controlled by a transcriptional network [1, 2]
Characterization of the proteome of stem barks To understand the protein profiling underlying fiber growth in ramie, we used the UHPLC-MS/MS system to analyze the proteome of the bast barks from the TPS and middle part of the stem (MPS), generating ~ 0.45 million spectra (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Ramie is an important fiber-producing crop in China, and its fibers are widely used as textile materials. In Arabidopsis, hundreds of genes participate in the biosynthesis of secondary walls, and they are co-ordinately turned on temporally and spatially, which is controlled by a transcriptional network [1, 2]. In this regulatory network, NAC transcription factors, such as SND1, NST1, and NST2, are the top-level master. Ramie fibers are extracted from stem bark and possess many excellent characteristics, including smooth texture, high tensile strength, and long fiber strands, and its length can rarely reach 55 cm [4] Their use in textiles is associated with defects, including confined elasticity, elongation potential, and resistance to dyeing. An exact mechanism underlying the fiber formation and development remains largely unknown in this crop

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Discussion

Conclusion