Abstract
In this study, we performed the first integrated physiological and proteomic analysis of the response to drought and recovery from drought, using Brachypodium distachyon L. Roots and leaves. Drought stress resulted in leaves curling, root tips becoming darker in color and significant changes in some physiological parameters. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) identified 78 and 98 differentially accumulated protein (DAP) spots representing 68 and 73 unique proteins responding to drought stress and/or recovery in roots and leaves, respectively. Differences between the root and leaf proteome were most marked for photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and protein metabolism. In particular, some DAPs involved in energy and protein metabolism had contrasting accumulation patterns in roots and leaves. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of roots and leaves revealed complex protein interaction networks that can generate synergistic responses to drought stress and during recovery from drought. Transcript analysis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validated the differential expression of key proteins involved in the PPI network. Our integrated physiological and proteomic analysis provides evidence for a synergistic network involved in responses to drought and active during recovery from drought, in Brachypodium roots and leaves.
Highlights
Plants encounter a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses during growth[1]
Physiological analysis demonstrated that leaf chlorophyll content decreased significantly in response to drought stress and after a treatment of 24 h was unable to return to its pre-drought treatment level
Our results demonstrated that receptor for activated C kinase 1 A (RACK1A) accumulation increased in roots responding to drought stress, peaking at 12 h, but that the protein could return to normal levels (Table 1), suggesting it plays an important role in the early stages of drought resistance
Summary
Plants encounter a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses during growth[1] These stresses unbalance cellular homeostasis and lead to morphological, physiological, and molecular changes[2]. The plant root cap produces abscisic acid (ABA), which mediates stomatal closure. This in turn, suppresses cell growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and respiration[8,9,10]. Drought leads to changes in plant calcium (Ca2+) concentrations that can trigger signaling cascades[25], and high concentrations of ROS can produce synergistic responses in both plant roots and leaves[26]. Our results reveal a complex regulatory network triggered by drought, and they provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of plant drought responses
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