Abstract

Morus alba is an important medicinal plant that is used to treat human diseases. The leaf, branch, and root of Morus can be applied as antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory medicines, respectively. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the various pharmacological functions within different parts of Morus, organ-specific proteomics were performed. Protein profiles of the Morus leaf, branch, and root were determined using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. In the Morus leaf, branch, and root, a total of 492, 414, and 355 proteins were identified, respectively, including 84 common proteins. In leaf, the main function was related to protein degradation, photosynthesis, and redox ascorbate/glutathione metabolism. In branch, the main function was related to protein synthesis/degradation, stress, and redox ascorbate/glutathione metabolism. In root, the main function was related to protein synthesis/degradation, stress, and cell wall. Additionally, organ-specific metabolites and antioxidant activities were analyzed. These results revealed that flavonoids were highly accumulated in Morus root compared with the branch and leaf. Accordingly, two root-specific proteins named chalcone flavanone isomerase and flavonoid 3,5-hydroxylase were accumulated in the flavonoid pathway. Consistent with this finding, the content of the total flavonoids was higher in root compared to those detected in branch and leaf. These results suggest that the flavonoids in Morus root might be responsible for its biological activity and the root is the main part for flavonoid biosynthesis in Morus.

Highlights

  • Mulberry tree (Morus alba L.) is a deciduous woody shrub in the family Moraceae and widely cultivated in China, Korea, India, and Japan [1]

  • Two proteins involved in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway were only identified in the root (Figure 4), which might mean that synthesized flavonoids accumulate in the root

  • When comparing the abundance of commonly identified proteins from different parts of Morus, we discovered that isoflavone reductase homolog (IFRh) was most abundant in branches, approximately three times higher than in the leaf and root

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Summary

Introduction

Mulberry tree (Morus alba L.) is a deciduous woody shrub in the family Moraceae and widely cultivated in China, Korea, India, and Japan [1]. In China, different parts of the mulberry tree have a long history of being used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat human diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and rheumatism [4]. The mulberry leaf has been proven to modulate the cardiovascular system through endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling [5] and mulberry-leaf polysaccharides, which are one of the main active components in mulberry leaf, have been purified from an ethanol extraction and showed potential antioxidative activities [6]. The mulberry-branch bark had a powerful antidiabetic effect that could rescue gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis by protecting genes in the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and protein kinase B signaling pathways [7]. The ethanol extraction of mulberry root bark could effectively ameliorate hyperlipidemia and four major active compounds, including mulberrofuran C, sanggenon G, moracin O, and moracin P, were isolated [8]. The mechanisms for the different biological activity in different parts of Morus remain unclear

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