iTRAQ-based Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Flag Leaves of Two Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes Differing in Waterlogging Tolerance at Anthesis

Abstract

Background Waterlogging is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting wheat product. Plants can adapt to waterlogging with changes in morphology, anatomy, and metabolism. A number of genes or proteins were responsive to waterlogging. Results in this sduty, the iTRAQ-based proteomic strategy was applied to identify waterlogging-responsive proteins in wheat. A total of 7710 proteins were identified in waterlogging tolerant and sensitive wheat varieties XM55 and YM158 at anthesis under waterlogging or not. Sixteen proteins were differentially accumulated between XM55 and YM158 under waterlogging with cultivar specificity. Among them, eleven proteins were up-regulated and five proteins were down-regulated. The up-regulated proteins included Fe-S cluster assembly factor, heat shock cognate 70, GTP-binding protein SAR1A-like, and CBS domain-containing protein. The down-regulated proteins contained photosystem II reaction center protein H, carotenoid 9,10 (9',10')-cleavage dioxygenase-like, psbP-like protein 1, and mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor. In addition, nine proteins were responsive to waterlogging with non-cultivar specificity. These proteins included 3-isopropylmalate dehydratase large subunit, solanesyl-diphosphate synthase 2, DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase 3, and three predicted or uncharacterized proteins. Sixteen out of the twenty-eight selected proteins showed consistent expression patterns between mRNA and protein levels by quantitative real-time PCR. Conclusions: Our study indicates the much proteins were differential accumulated between the two contrast waterlogging wheat varieties in response to waterlogging, which provide insight into wheat response to waterlogging stress. The identified differentially accumulated protein might be applied to develop waterlogging tolerant wheat.