Proteomic analysis of tomato fruits from two ecotypes during ripening

Abstract

Ripening of climacteric fruits is a complex physiological phenomenon, which makes berries attractive/palatable and also determines their nutritional characteristics. We report here a comparative proteomic investigation on tomato fruits from a regional and commercial elite ecotype during maturation. Several hundreds of protein components were resolved on 2-DE gels (pH range 4-7) stained with colloidal Coomassie; almost 57% presented overlapping gel coordinates between the two compared varieties. Specific proteins were recognized in each ecotype as differentially expressed during ripening. Constant and variable components were excised, in-gel digested and analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS and microLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS approaches. Peptide MS and MS/MS data were searched against publicly available protein and EST databases, and 83 protein spots were unambiguously identified by MS. Gel matching procedures allowed further identification of proteins between ecotypes. In general, common variably expressed proteins in both ecotypes during maturation were associated to important physiological processes such as redox status control, defence, stress, carbon metabolism, energy production and cellular signalling. Protein components differentially expressed in each variety were also identified. The role of some of the identified proteins in the berries is discussed in relation to tomato fruit ripening. Accordingly, this investigation provides the first characterization of the tomato fruit proteome and description of its variation during maturation.

Proteomic Analysis of Chloroplast-to-Chromoplast Transition in Tomato Reveals Metabolic Shifts Coupled with Disrupted Thylakoid Biogenesis Machinery and Elevated Energy-Production Components

“…The mechanisms governing the differentiation of plastids such as the conversion of proplastids to chloroplasts or chloroplasts to chromoplasts have received little attention and are barely mentioned in recent reviews on plastid proteomics (Armbruster et al, 2011;van Wijk and Baginsky, 2011). The pattern of changes in protein abundance reported here is in agreement with proteomic data generated in whole fruit by others (Rocco et al, 2006;Faurobert et al, 2007). The western blots of six proteins representative of several metabolic or regulatory pathways give a pattern of changes that is similar to proteomic analysis.…”

“…Forty-seven proteins have been identified both in the plastid proteome described in this work and in the whole fruit proteome of Rocco et al (2006) and Faurobert et al (2007). Although the tomato varieties and the quantification methods were very different, the ratios of abundance between the three stages of plastid development (MG, B, and R) were identical or similar, thus confirming the accuracy of the quantification methods.…”

“…Proteomic data on the whole tomato fruit are available in which quantitative data on plastidial proteins can be encountered (Rocco et al, 2006;Faurobert et al, 2007). Forty-seven proteins have been identified both in the plastid proteome described in this work and in the whole fruit proteome of Rocco et al (2006) and Faurobert et al (2007).…”

“…Another signal peptidase, plastidic signal peptidase (PLSP1, Solyc12g007120) involved in thylakoid development through its involvement in processing the Toc75 envelope protein and 0E33 thylakoid luminal protein (Shipman-Roston et al, 2010) was absent at the R stage, which is consistent with thylakoid dismantling. (Schauer et al, 2006;Deborde et al, 2009;Moing et al, 2011), proteomics (Rocco et al, 2006;Faurobert et al, 2007;Palma et al, 2011), and more recently, a combination of all of them . However these technologies have been scarcely used in the study of subcellular organelles such as chromoplasts.…”

Tomato susceptibility to Fusarium crown and root rot: Effect of grafting combination and proteomic analysis of tolerance expression in the rootstock

“…Due to its economic importance, as well as many favorable genetic and agricultural features, it has also become a model species for molecular studies aimed at improving fruit quality (Giovannoni, 2004;Rocco et al, 2006) and resistance toward pathogens (Ercolano et al, 2012). Tomato is affected by over 200 diseases induced by viruses, bacteria, fungi or nematodes (Jones et al, 1991), which are the cause of severe annual yield losses worldwide.…”