biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 48:237-242, 2004 | DOI: 10.1023/B:BIOP.0000033450.16985.07

Protein Patterns, Characterized by Computer Image Analysis, of Lentil Embryo Axes Germinating Under Salt Stress

A. Dell'Aquila¹

¹ Institute of Plant Genetics, CNR, Bari, Italy

Following 16, 40 and 64 h exposure to 0.33 M NaCl given after 8 h water imbibition, lentil seeds showed a gradual decrease of germination upon their transfer to water. These salt related changes were accompanied by modifications in the protein patterns of embryo axes as revealed by two-dimensional electrophoresis separation and by the computer image analysis of protein spots. In comparison with 8 h water imbibed seeds, prominent proteins comprised between the 5.1 - 7.6 pH isoelectric point in the first dimension and 75 - 50 kDa molecular mass in the second dimension showed a significant increase in their abundance as salt exposure increased. On transfer to water to complete germination, the content of many of these proteins decreased at 24h in 2 - 3 cm length embryo axes in comparison with the corresponding embryo axes of seeds continuously imbibed in water for 24 h. Some groups of proteins ranging between 15.5 - 17.3 kDa, already present after 8 h water imbibition, were not detectable after 24 h but were expressed in seeds exposed to NaCl and transferred to water for 24 h. Up- and down-regulated proteins in lentil embryo axes, imbibed under non-lethal salt stress conditions, have been tentatively identified by comparison with the protein map of germinating seeds of the model plant Arabidopsis.

Keywords: 2-D electrophoresis; germination; Lens culinaris

Subjects: computer image analysis; dithiothreitol; embryo axes, protein patterns, salt stress; germination; heat-shock proteins; Lens culinaris; lentil, germination; protein patterns, embryo axes, germination; salt stress, germination

Published: June 1, 2004  Show citation