Identification of proteins associated with bast fiber growth of ramie by differential proteomic analysis

Abstract

Background Ramie is an important fiber-producing crop in China, and its fibers are widely used as textile materials. Fibers contain specialized secondary cellular walls that are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Understanding the mechanism underlying the secondary wall biosynthesis of fibers will benefit the improvement of fiber yield and quality in ramie. Results Here, we performed a proteomic analysis of the bark from the top and middle parts of the stem, where fiber growth is at different stages. We identified 6971 non-redundant proteins from bast bark. Proteomic comparison revealed 983 proteins with differential expression between the two bark types. Of these 983 proteins, 46 were identified as the homolog of known secondary wall biosynthetic proteins of Arabidopsis, indicating that they were potentially associated with fiber growth. Then, we proposed a molecular model for the secondary wall biosynthesis of ramie fiber. Furthermore, interaction analysis of 46 candidate proteins revealed two interacting networks that consisted of eight cellulose biosynthetic enzymes and seven lignin biosynthetic proteins, respectively. Conclusion This study sheds light on the proteomic basis underlying bast fiber growth in ramie, and the identification of many candidates associated with fiber growth provides important basis for understanding the fiber growth in this crop.

Integrated microRNA and whole-transcriptome sequencing reveals the involvement of small and long non-coding RNAs in the fiber growth of ramie plant

“…Numerous efforts have been made to determine the fiber growth mechanism [ 21 , 27 , 29 , 30 ], which has greatly improved our understanding of its genetic regulation and lead to the establishment of a putative model for fiber formation [ 28 ]. Protein post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, are involved in fiber formation [ 35 , 37 ], indicating a complex mechanism involved in fiber growth. Although differentially expressed miRNAs and circular RNAs have been identified in the stem bark of growing fibers in ramie [ 20 , 37 ], the specific roles of these ncRNAs and their targets remain unknown.…”

Anatomical Characteristics and Variation Mechanisms on the Thick-Walled and Dwarfed Culm of Shidu Bamboo (Phyllostachys nidularia f. farcta)

“…The changes in cell wall structure and components were another important factor affecting cell elongation (Scheible and Pauly, 2004 ; Coomey et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2021 ). In Shidu bamboo, corresponding signs, such as the thinning of its fiber cell wall and the decrease in lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content in the culm wall compared with the prototype plant ( Table 1 ; Figures 5B–D ), indicate that its cell wall exhibits abnormal development.…”

Genome-Wide Identification of NAC Genes Associated with Bast Fiber Growth in Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.)

“…Three genes, Bnt03G004997, Bnt06G010588, and Bnt03G004081, showed relatively high expression level in the stems of ZSZ1, but in tenacissima, they mainly expressed in the leaves, indicating a difference in the expression pattern of them. Furthermore, the expression level of these 10 NAC genes were compared between the barks from the top and middle section of the stems where fiber growth is under different stages [39], and revealed that the transcript abundance of eight genes had a more than two-fold difference (Figure 2d), indicating the potential roles of these NAC regulators in the fiber growth of ramie. We further focused on the expression of NAC genes encoding the ortholog of the Arabidopsis secondary wall biosynthetic NAC regulator.…”