The cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) root proteome: protein identification and differential expression

Using high-resolution 2-DE, we resolved proteins extracted from fibrous and tuberous root tissues of 3-month-old cassava plants. Gel image analysis revealed an average of 1467 electrophoretically resolved spots on the fibrous gels and 1595 spots on the tuberous gels in pH 3-10 range. Protein spots from both sets of gels were digested with trypsin. The digests were subjected to nanoelectrospray quadrupole TOF tandem mass analysis. Currently, we have obtained 299 protein identifications for 292 gel spots corresponding to 237 proteins. The proteins span various functional categories from energy, primary and secondary metabolism, disease and defense, destination and storage, transport, signal transduction, protein synthesis, cell structure, and transcription to cell growth and division. Gel image analysis has shown unique, as well as up- and down-regulated proteins, present in the tuberous and the fibrous tissues. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the cassava root proteome is an important step towards further characterization of differentially expressed proteins and the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the development and biological functions of the two types of roots.