Whole Proteome Analysis of GA3 Response at Panicle Stage in Grape (Vitis vinifera) cv. Thompson Seedless

Abstract

Rachis elongation is a crucial process in producing good quality table grapes. In compact clustered grape variety like Thompson Seedless, treating the flower panicles with a mild dose of GA3 results in loose clusters. We sprayed GA3 on Thompson Seedless panicles immediately after emergence, and the samples were collected at 6 h and 24 h after application. Whole proteome analysis revealed significant differential expression of 530 proteins of the total 1288 expressed proteins at two time-points. GO term enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of GO terms related to translation, biosynthetic processes, and photosynthesis in GA3-treated samples. As the process of rachis elongation requires enhanced carbon metabolism and accumulation of sugars through the expansion of phloem area, we attribute this to the overexpression of several proteins involved in these processes. Significantly highly expressed proteins also belonged to biological processes like the generation of precursor metabolites, cellular protein metabolic processes, response to abiotic stimulus, and protein metabolic processes. This study might be the first of its kind in deciphering the contribution of a different group of proteins during rachis elongation as an early response to GA3 application in seedless grapes. These results provide quality information on various physiological and biochemical changes occurring during early stages of rachis elongation.