Marija Vidović1*, Ilaria Battisti2,3, Ana Pantelić1, Dejana Milic1, Giorgio Arrigoni2,3, Antonio Masi4, and Sonja Veljović Jovanović5
1Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia
2Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
3Proteomics Center, University of Padova and Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Via G. Orus 2/B, 35129 Padova, Italy
4DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
5Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
mvidovic [at] imgge.bg.ac.rs
Abstract
The resurrection plant Ramonda serbica Panc. survives long desiccation periods and fully recovers metabolic functions within one day upon watering. We aimed to identify key candidates and pathways involved in desiccation tolerance in R. serbica by employing a systems biology approach, combining transcriptomics and proteomics.
A total of 68,694 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; p‐value<0.005 and abs(log2FC)≥2) were obtained in R. serbica leaves upon desiccation. Among them, 23,935 and 26,169 genes were upregulated and downregulated in desiccated leaves (DL) and hydrated leaves (HL), respectively.
By differential TMT‐based proteomic analysis 1192 different protein groups were identified after filtering with at least two unique peptides per protein. In total, 229 protein groups were more abundant in HL and 179 in DL (p‐value<0.05 and abs(FC)≥1.3). The majority of the DAPs and DEGs involved in photosynthesis, transport, secondary metabolism, and signaling, were less abundant in DL. On the other hand, proteins and transcripts associated with fermentation, N‐metabolism, heme, protein synthesis, folding and assembly, C1‐metabolism, and late embryogenesis abundant proteins, were more accumulated in DL.
A poor correlation between proteomic and transcriptomic results was detected for mitochondrial electron transport and ATP production, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and enzymatic H2O2 scavengers due to different mRNA half‐life, protein turnover, dynamic posttranscriptional and posttranslational modifications. Finally, desiccation tolerance in R. serbica is a species‐specific process orchestrated by several metabolic pathways that are temporally and compartmentally regulated at several levels.
Keywords: differentially abundant proteins, differentially expressed genes, drought, resurrection plants
Acknowledgements: This work was funded by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Contract No. 451-03-47/2023-01/ 200042) and by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia-RS (PROMIS project LEAPSyn-SCI, grant no. 6039663).
