title: Soybeans grown in the Chernobyl area produce fertile seeds that have increased heavy metal resistance and modified carbon metabolism.
abstract: Plants grow and reproduce in the radioactive Chernobyl area, however there has been no comprehensive characterization of these activities. Herein we report that life in this radioactive environment has led to alteration of the developing soybean seed proteome in a specific way that resulted in the production of fertile seeds with low levels of oil and β-conglycinin seed storage proteins. Soybean seeds were harvested at four, five, and six weeks after flowering, and at maturity from plants grown in either non-radioactive or radioactive plots in the Chernobyl area. The abundance of 211 proteins was determined. The results confirmed previous data indicating that alterations in the proteome include adaptation to heavy metal stress and mobilization of seed storage proteins. The results also suggest that there have been adjustments to carbon metabolism in the cytoplasm and plastids, increased activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and decreased condensation of malonyl-acyl carrier protein during fatty acid biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klubicová
authors.forename: Maksym
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danchenko
authors.forename: Ludovit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skultety
authors.forename: Valentyna V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Berezhna
authors.forename: Lubica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Uvackova
authors.forename: Namik M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rashydov
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajduch
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics; D020543:Proteome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010940:Plant Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D002244:Carbon