title: Proteomic analysis reveals the diversity and complexity of membrane proteins in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compartmentalization is a unique feature of eukaryotes that helps in maintaining cellular homeostasis not only in intra- and inter-organellar context, but also between the cells and the external environment. Plant cells are highly compartmentalized with a complex metabolic network governing various cellular events. The membranes are the most important constituents in such compartmentalization, and membrane-associated proteins play diverse roles in many cellular processes besides being part of integral component of many signaling cascades.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To obtain valuable insight into the dynamic repertoire of membrane proteins, we have developed a proteome reference map of a grain legume, chickpea, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. MALDI-TOF/TOF and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis led to the identification of 91 proteins involved in a variety of cellular functions viz., bioenergy, stress-responsive and signal transduction, metabolism, protein synthesis and degradation, among others. Significantly, 70% of the identified proteins are putative integral membrane proteins, possessing transmembrane domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proteomic analysis revealed many resident integral membrane proteins as well as membrane-associated proteins including those not reported earlier. To our knowledge, this is the first report of membrane proteome from aerial tissues of a crop plant. The findings may provide a better understanding of the biochemical machinery of the plant membranes at the molecular level that might help in functional genomics studies of different developmental pathways and stress-responses.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Doel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Pratigya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Subba
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Poonam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gayali
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Asis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Subhra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Plant Genome Research, JNU Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Niranjan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chakraborty