Proteomic Identification of Differentially Expressed Proteins in the Ligon lintless Mutant of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

Cotton fiber is an ideal model for studying plant cell elongation. To date, the underlying mechanisms controlling fiber elongation remain unclear due to their high complexity. In this study, a comparative proteomic analysis between a short-lint fiber mutant (Ligon lintless, Li 1 ) and its wild-type was performed to identify fiber elongation-related proteins. By 2-DE combined with local EST database-assisted MS/ MS analysis, 81 differentially expressed proteins assigned to different functional categories were identified from Li 1 fibers, of which 54 were down-regulated and 27 were up-regulated. Several novel aspects regarding cotton fiber elongation can be illustrated from our data. First, over half of the downregulated proteins were newly identified at the protein level, which is mainly involved in protein folding and stabilization, nucleocytoplasmic transport, signal transduction, and vesicular-mediated transport. Second, a number of cytoskeleton-related proteins showed a remarkable decrease in protein abundance in the Li 1 fibers. Accordingly, the architecture of actin cytoskeleton was severely deformed and the microtubule organization was moderately altered, accompanied with dramatic disruption of vesicle trafficking. Third, the expression of several proteins involved in unfolded protein response (UPR) was activated in Li 1 fibers, indicating that the deficiency of fiber cell elongation was related to ER stress. Collectively, these findings significantly advanced our understanding of the mechanisms associated with cotton fiber elongation.

Arabidopsis Annexin1 Mediates the Radical-Activated Plasma Membrane Ca2+- and K+-Permeable Conductance in Root Cells

“…The ligon mutant of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is impaired in fiber elongation, and proteomic analysis revealed significant downregulation of five annexin isoforms when compared with the wild type, consistent with roles for annexins in growth (Zhao et al, 2010). ANN1's OH _ -activated Ca 2+ transport activity in PLB was consistent with a capacity for PM Ca 2+ influx that could stimulate exocytosis.…”

Parallel up-regulation of the profilin gene family following independent domestication of diploid and allopolyploid cotton ( Gossypium )

“…For example, in cultivated G. hirsutum, each of the five genes GPRF1-GPRF5 contributes substantially and relatively equitably to the total profilin transcriptome (18,29,21,10, and 22%, respectively), whereas in the wild form of the same species, there is more variation among genes (1,23,28,19, and 29%, respectively; Fig. 2D).…”

“…Profilin has been shown to affect tip growth in moss, root hairs, pollen tubes, and cotton fiber (15,(27)(28)(29). Profilin is expressed during early cotton fiber development (14,15), and on the basis of the observation that overexpression in transgenic tobacco cells produced elongated cells with thicker and longer microfilament cables, Wang et al (15) suggested that profilin plays a role in the rapid elongation of cotton fibers by promoting actin polymerization.…”

The two domains of cotton WLIM1a protein are functionally divergent

“…Owing to its exceptional cell length and simple secondary cell wall composition, cotton fiber provides an excellent model for studies of plant cell elongation and cell wall biogenesis (Kim and Triplett, 2001). Recently, significant progress has been made in large-scale identification of genes and proteins involved in fiber development, particularly of those related to fiber elongation and secondary wall deposition (Arpat et al, 2004;Cao, 2015;Gou et al, 2007;Jin et al, 2013;Shi et al, 2006;Zhao et al, 2010). Moreover, a number of fiber development-related genes have been structurally or functionally characterized (Han et al, 2013;Li et al, 2005;Pei, 2015;Ruan et al, 2003;Shan et al, 2014;Xu et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2011).…”