iTRAQ-based proteomic technique provides insight into salt stress
responsive proteins in Apocyni Veneti Folium (Apocynum venetum L.)
Abstract
Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits plant growth and
productivity. Understanding the mechanisms of plant salinity tolerance
can facilitate engineering for quality improvement. Apocynum venetum L.
exhibits tolerance to salinity. Due to the lack of a genomic database,
RNA-seq based transcriptomics and isobaric tag for relative and absolute
quantitation (iTRAQ) based proteomic profiles of Apocyni Veneti Folium
(AVF) exposed to four levels of salt treatments were performed. A total
of 143, 162 and 167 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found
between salt-treated AVF compared with control, respectively. They were
mainly involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, biosynthesis of
metabolites and signal transduction. Furthermore, results showed that
carbon and nitrogen metabolisms were altered under salt stress; low and
moderate levels of salt stress enhanced photosynthetic functions and
ramped up carbohydrate metabolism. However, severe salt stress depressed
biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, consistent with the metabolomics
results. In conclusion, the protein profiles combined with
transcriptomics and metabolomics indicate that halophyte uses a
multipronged approach to overcome salt stress, and provides some novel
information for revealing the mechanisms of adaption and quality
formation of this herbal medicine.