Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of abscisic acid effect in early-stage soybean under flooding

Flooding is a serious problem for soybean cultivation because it markedly reduces growth. To investigate the role of phytohormones in soybean under flooding stress, gel-free proteomic technique was used. When 2-day-old soybeans were flooded, the content of abscisic acid (ABA) did not decrease in the root, though its content decreased in untreated plant. When ABA was added during flooding treatment, survival ratio was improved compared with that of soybeans flooded without ABA. When 2-day-old soybeans were flooded with ABA, the abundance of proteins related to cell organization, vesicle transport and glycolysis decreased compared with those in root of soybeans flooded without ABA. Furthermore, the nuclear proteins were analyzed to identify the transcriptional regulation. The abundance of 34 nuclear proteins such as histone deacetylase and U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein increased by ABA supplementation under flooding; however, 35 nuclear proteins such as importin alpha, chromatin remodeling factor, zinc finger protein, transducin, and cell division 5 protein decreased. Of them, the mRNA expression levels of cell division cycle 5 protein, C2H2 zinc finger protein SERRATE, CCCH type zinc finger family protein, and transducin were significantly down-regulated under the ABA treatment. These results suggest that ABA might be involved in the enhancement of flooding tolerance of soybean through the control of energy conservation via glycolytic system and the regulation on zinc finger proteins, cell division cycle 5 protein and transducin.