DIA-Based Quantitative Proteomics Reveals the Protein Regulatory Networks of Floral Thermogenesis in Nelumbo nucifera

Abstract

The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) can maintain a stable floral chamber temperature between 30 and 35 °C when blooming despite fluctuations in ambient temperatures between about 8 and 45 °C, but the regulatory mechanism of floral thermogenesis remains unclear. Here, we obtained comprehensive protein profiles from receptacle tissue at five developmental stages using data-independent acquisition (DIA)-based quantitative proteomics technology to reveal the molecular basis of floral thermogenesis of N. nucifera. A total of 6913 proteins were identified and quantified, of which 3513 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were screened. Among them, 640 highly abundant proteins during the thermogenic stages were mainly involved in carbon metabolism processes such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Citrate synthase was identified as the most connected protein in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Next, the content of alternative oxidase (AOX) and plant uncoupling protein (pUCP) in different tissues indicated that AOX was specifically abundant in the receptacles. Subsequently, a protein module highly related to the thermogenic phenotype was identified by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). In summary, the regulation mechanism of floral thermogenesis in N. nucifera involves complex regulatory networks, including TCA cycle metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and ubiquinone synthesis, etc.

Comparative analysis of caseins in Saanen goat milk from 3 different regions of China using quantitative proteomics

“…It can perform panoramic MS scanning of all molecules in a sample and efficiently determine low-abundance proteins (Quan et al, 2021). Data-independent acquisition offers the advantages of deep proteome coverage, good quantitative reproducibility, and high accuracy (Sun et al, 2021). Furthermore, DIA can quantify more proteins and provides better data than DDA (Bruderer et al, 2015).…”

Comparative analyses of American and Asian lotus genomes reveal insights into petal color, carpel thermogenesis and domestication

“…Although lotus carpels are enclosed in the warm spongy tissue of the thermogenic receptacle, it has not been clear whether carpels could produce heat independently. Evidence indicates that AOX is responsible for controlling thermogenesis in lotus (Sun et al., 2021; Watling et al., 2006), which is mainly fueled by carbohydrates (Grant et al., 2008). We found that the candidate gene for AOX with the highest transcript abundance, Nn1g02044 , was consistently more highly expressed in carpels than in stamens, where its transcript abundance can reach 50–100‐fold of that found in stamens (Figure 4e).…”

“…Two energy‐dissipating systems, alternative oxidase (AOX) and uncoupling protein (UCP), are thought to be of great importance in plant heat generation. AOX is responsible for controlling lotus thermogenesis (Sun et al., 2021; Watling et al., 2006). Although UCPs are co‐expressed with AOX during thermogenesis, their physiological roles during thermogenesis in lotus have not yet been clarified.…”

Creation of a Plant Metabolite Spectral Library for Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomics

“…There are two major approaches for MS-based metabolomics: targeted and untargeted metabolomics [10]. Typically, the targeted metabolomics involved identifying and quantifying a group of known metabolites using selected reaction monitoring (SRM or SRMs when multiple transitions are monitored) with tandem mass spectrometers [11].…”