Looking for Novel Proteins Associated With In Vitro Morphogenesis of Pineapple

摘要

Pineapple [Ananus comosus (L.) Merr, family Bromeliaceae] is considered as one of the most economically important tropical fruits. Identification of novel proteins of this important fruit crop is an active area of research. Recent advances in plant biotechnology methods applied to pineapple crops have enhanced their potential application, both for basic studies and for direct application in agriculture. A hitherto not ventured direction is looking for enzymes and proteins related to in vitro morphogenesis, for which the present work was envisaged. Consequently, three distinct developmental stages (meristem with sheathing leaf base, regenerating callus and leaves) of in vitro regenerated and maintained pineapple plants were subjected to isozyme and proteomic analyses through one dimensional native activity gel and two dimensional gel electrophoresis respectively. Certain isoforms of Peroxidase, Esterase and Acid Phosphatase, were found to be either up or down regulated in the course of dedifferentiation, while two other enzymes, viz. a -Amylase and Malate Dehydrogenase showed little alteration in activity in the three developmental stages under study. Two dimensional gel electrophoresis of total protein isolated from separate set of similar experimental materials revealed few unique protein spots after performing Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (MALDI-TOF).