Projects / Programmes
Studies of drought stress response in common bean at the level of subcellular proteomics
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Agricultural plants |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T490 |
Technological sciences |
Biotechnology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
Proteomics of chloroplast, drought stress, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), proteins
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
30827 |
PhD Tanja Zadražnik |
Biotechnical sciences |
Head |
2017 - 2018 |
42 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Drought stress is one of the main abiotic stresses limiting agricultural production of many important crops such as legumes, including common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Sixty per cent of the world's common bean is produced under rain fed conditions, and drought causes yield losses up to 80% in some regions. The response of common bean to drought has not been widely studied, so an improved understanding of drought stress response mechanisms could help in developing drought resistant lines, consequently contributing to high productivity of this important food legume.
The mechanisms of drought stress response and tolerance in common bean at molecular level is still not well characterized. The response to stress is a complex mechanism due to physiological and molecular changes of the plant. The molecular regulatory system involved in the response to drought and its tolerance in common bean can be deciphered with different “omics” techniques, including proteomics. Since proteins are directly involved in plant stress response, proteomics can significantly contribute to unravelling the possible relationships between protein abundance and stress in plants. To obtain comprehensive and deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to drought stress, the role of cellular organelles should be considered. Analyses of subcellular proteome changes under stressed conditions are important to gain the information about location and function of proteins and to determine specific groups of proteins, which are the key players in stress response. One of the major subcellular organelles, whose functions are affected during drought stress are chloroplasts, an important plastids of plant cells responsible for photosynthetic processes and primary metabolic functions.
In this project chloroplast proteomes from leaves of common bean cultivars, differing in their response to drought, Tiber and more sensitive Starozagorski čern, will be analysed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry. The primary objective of the proposed research project is to disclose the differences in protein abundance between chloroplast proteomes of plants subjected to drought and normally watered plants. Further goal of the project is to define differences in protein abundance between two cultivars subjected to drought stress and to identify chloroplast proteins differentially expressed upon water deficit. Final result of the research is to explain drought response mechanism of the identified proteins. This will be the first subcellular proteomic study of drought stress response in common bean.
The identification of chloroplast proteins in the proposed project will help to unravel the response of common bean to drought. Further, the results of the subproteomic analysis will supplement existing proteomic analysis of total leaf proteins in two cultivars of common bean exposed to drought. In-depth analysis of chloroplast proteome related to drought stress will contribute to detailed insight into the mechanism of specific proteins involved in the response to stress. The results of the proposed project could be directly applicable in further studies of drought in different legumes and other species. Knowledge on changed abundance of proteins from selected subcellular organelle could be useful in the development of drought tolerant plants. This is very important for plant breeding process, where the main goal is to develop new cultivars with improved stress tolerance, to reduce the production losses and to improve the production in different, unfavourable environmental conditions.
Significance for science
The identification of proteins in chloroplasts of leaves in common bean cultivars under drought stress in the proposed project will help to unravel the response of common bean to drought, since the mechanism of response to drought stress is not yet well characterized. The results will provide additional knowledge on the proteomic analysis of total leaf proteins in two cultivars of common bean differing in their response to drought. In-depth proteome analysis of chloroplasts under drought stress will contribute to detailed insight into the mechanism of specific proteins involved in the response to stress. The results of the proposed project could be directly applicable in further studies of drought in different legumes and other species.
Changes in protein accumulation under stress are closely interrelated to plant phenotypic response to stress. Therefore, studies of plant response to drought stress conditions at protein level can significantly contribute to understanding of physiological mechanisms underlying drought stress tolerance in common bean. Proteomic studies could thus lead to identification of potential markers whose changes in abundance can be associated with quantitative changes in some physiological parameters used for description of stress tolerance on the genotype level. This is very important for plant breeding programmes, where the main goal is to develop new cultivars with improved stress tolerance, to reduce the production losses and to improve the production in different, unfavourable environmental conditions.
To sum up, proteomics is enabling discovery of novel proteins that could be potential candidates for further studies via biotechnological approaches. We hope that, with time, the proteomic data sets for different crops will be more abundant and that we will be able to see examples in which such proteomic-based knowledge is used directly for the improvement of the stress tolerance of crop plants, among them in common bean.
Significance for the country
Drought leads to reduction in the yield of economically important crops including common bean. It has adverse effects on plant growth, development and has consequences on quantity and quality of yield. Common bean is a crop of great societal importance, since it is in certain parts of the world a major source of protein and essential nutrients. The area of plant proteomics related to drought stress is giving an active contribution by identifying proteins controlling important traits related to alleviation of stress. Improved and novel knowledge about the key proteins of chloroplasts involved in drought stress response in selected cultivars will contribute to understanding of drought stress response, tolerance mechanism of common bean and to the development of drought tolerant plants. This is very important for plant breeding process, where the main goal is to develop new cultivars with improved stress tolerance, to reduce the production losses and to improve the production in different, unfavourable environmental conditions. The development of common bean varieties bearing higher tolerance to drought stress using the proteomic approach would also help to decrease the use of chemicals and pesticides, by favoring sustainable agricultural practices and producing quality products. Breeding programs for improved yield in common bean for adverse/drought conditions are of great economic importance. It is imperative that these programmes include specific genetics and proteomics tools.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
