Medicago truncatula and Glycine max: Different Drought Tolerance and Similar Local Response of the Root Nodule Proteome.
Legume crops present important agronomical and environmental advantages mainly due to their capacity to reduce atmospheric N2 to ammonium via symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). This process is very sensitive to abiotic stresses such as drought, but the mechanism underlying this response is not fully understood. The goal of the current work is to compare the drought response of two legumes with high economic impact and research importance, Medicago truncatula and Glycine max, by characterizing their root nodule proteomes. Our results show that, although M. truncatula exhibits lower water potential values under drought conditions compared to G. max, SNF declined analogously in the two legumes. Both of their nodule proteomes are very similar, and comparable down-regulation responses in the diverse protein functional groups were identified (mainly proteins related to the metabolism of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur). We suggest lipoxygenases and protein turnover as newly recognized players in SNF regulation. Partial drought conditions applied to a split-root system resulted in the local down-regulation of the entire proteome of drought-stressed nodules in both legumes. The high degree of similarity between both legume proteomes suggests that the vast amount of research conducted on M. truncatula could be applied to economically important legume crops, such as soybean.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Public University of Navarra , E-31006 Pamplona, Spain.
Erena
E
Gil-Quintana
Department of Molecular Systems Biology, University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
David
D
Lyon
Department of Molecular Systems Biology, University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Christiana
C
Staudinger
Department of Molecular Systems Biology, University of Vienna , Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Stefanie
S
Wienkoop
Department of Environmental Sciences, Public University of Navarra , E-31006 Pamplona, Spain.
Esther M
EM
González
D015536:Down-Regulation; D055864:Droughts; D046913:Medicago truncatula / Q000378:metabolism*; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological
D010940:Plant Proteins; D020543:Proteome
Medicago truncatula; drought; nodule proteome; soybean; split-root system