Molecular Remodeling in Populus PdKOR RNAi Roots Profiled Using LC-MS/MS Proteomics

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Molecular biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Plant endo-β-1,4-glucanases (Glycoside Hydrolase Family 9) are crucial for cell wall biosynthesis and remodeling.
• Downregulating the Populus deltoides KORRIGAN (PdKOR) gene affects secondary metabolome and root-microbe interactions.
• The molecular mechanisms behind these root tissue changes are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular remodeling in root tissues of PdKOR-downregulated and control plants.
• To identify proteins and pathways involved in altered root characteristics.
• To provide a proteomic resource for understanding plant-microbe interactions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for proteome profiling.
• Analyzed root tissues from PdKOR-downregulated and control Populus deltoides plants.
• Identified peptides and mapped them to functional protein groups using Gene Ontology categories.

Main Results:

• Identified 14,316 peptides, mapping to 7,139 proteins (1,187 functional groups).
• Observed differential expression of proteins related to plant-microbe interactions, cell wall chemistry, and metabolism.
• The proteome dataset provides insights into molecular changes in PdKOR-modified roots.

Conclusions:

• The proteome dataset offers a valuable resource for hypothesis generation and testing.
• Identified proteins and pathways are relevant to understanding root responses to microbial interactions.
• This study advances knowledge on the functional roles of proteins in priming plant roots for beneficial microbe interactions.