Comparative proteomic analysis of Celastrus hindsii Benth. phenotypes reveals an intraspecific variation

Abstract

In Vietnam, Celastrus hindsii Benth, a medicinal plant rich in secondary metabolites, has been used to alleviate distress caused by ulcers, tumors, and inflammation for generations. The occurrence of two phenotypes, Broad Leaf (BL) and Narrow Leaf (NL), has raised questions about the selection of appropriate varieties for conservation and crop improvement to enhance medicinal properties. This study examined molecular differences in C. hindsii by comparing protein profiles between the NL and BL types using 2D-PAGE and MS. Peptide sequences and proteins were identified by matching MS data against the MSPnr100 databases and verified using the MultiIdent tool on ExPASy and the Blast2GO software. Our results revealed notable variations in protein abundance between the NL and BL proteomes. Selected proteins were confidently identified from 12 protein spots, thereby highlighting the molecular variation between NL and BL proteomes. Upregulated proteins in BL were found to be associated with flavonoid and amino acid biosynthesis as well as nuclease metabolism, which probably attributed to the intraspecific variations. Several bioactive proteins identified in this study can have applications in cancer therapeutics. Therefore, the BL phenotype characterized by healthier external morphological features has higher levels of bioactive compounds and could be better suited for medicinal use.

An in silico Approach For Identification of Potential Therapeutic Targets For Cancer Treatment From Celastrus hindsii Benth

“…The protein distribution shows a significant difference in the two phenotypes of C. hindsii. A total of 12 protein spots could have possible identifications (Nguyen et al, 2020a). Four proteins (number 5, 8, 9, 10) were discussed thoroughly in the literature regarding their therapeutic importance (Table 1).…”

“…The previous study described the protein variation between NL and BL using 2D-PAGE coupled with MS (Nguyen et al, 2020a). Protein spots were identified as up-regulated or down-regulated when there was a change in volume variation (1.5-fold, p<0.05) (De Filippis & Magel, 2012).…”

“…Our previous phytochemical and proteomic research on C. hindsii used plant samples collected from various locations (Nguyen et al, 2020a;Nguyen et al, 2020b). Metabolite investigations in the previous study showed significant differences in the quantity and activity of vitamin E, flavonoids, phospholipids, proline, and glutathione between narrow-leaf (NL) and broad-leaf (BL) varieties.…”