An efficient proteomic approach to analyze agriculture crop biomass

While a plant cell wall is formed by a complex of various components, including polysaccharides and structural proteins, its composition and representation may vary during cell growth. Currently, plant research targets the proteins participating in wall loosening. Multiple classes of enzymes, including various hemicellulases and cellulases, are required for plant material degradation to achieve the maximum decomposition. Identifying the set of proteins involved in the breakdown of cell-wall polymers is important to understand plant material conversion into suitable products. The objective of this study was to describe a method which can be used to carry out proteomics analysis of complex plant samples and identify enzymes degrading biomass. For this purpose we used proteomic techniques including gel electrophoresis, high pressure liquid chromatography combinated with mass spectrometry followed by data evaluation using databases searching. Results show that more than 50 % of these activities correspond to enzymes with proteolytic function. This study was focused primarily on enzymes able to breakdown the lignocellulosic and hemicellulosic parts that are very important for the material conversion into required products of degradation.