The mitochondrial proteome of the model legume Medicago truncatula.

Juri Dubinin, Hans-Peter Braun, Udo Schmitz, Frank Colditz

Leibniz University of Hannover, Institute for Plant Genetics, Hannover, Germany. juri.dubinin@googlemail.com

Biochimica et biophysica acta 2011 Dec

filter terms:

Legumes carry out special biochemical functions, e.g. the fixation of molecular nitrogen based on a symbiosis with proteobacteria. At the cellular level, this symbiosis has to be implemented into the energy metabolism of the host cell. To provide a basis for future analyses, we have characterized the protein complement of mitochondria of the model legume Medicago truncatula using two-dimensional isoelectric focussing (IEF) and blue-native (BN)-SDS-PAGE. While the IEF reference map resulted mainly in resolution of those proteins associated with the mitochondrial matrix, the BN proteomic map allowed separation of protein subunits from the respiratory chain protein complexes, which are located in the organelle's inner membrane. The M. truncatula mitochondrial BN reference map revealed some striking similarities to the one from Arabidopsis thaliana but at the same time exhibited also some special features: complex II is of increased abundance and additionally represented by a low molecular mass form not reported for Arabidopsis. Furthermore three highly abundant forms of prohibitin complexes are present in the mitochondrial proteome of M. truncatula. Special features with respect to mitochondrial protein complexes might reflect adaptations of legumes to elevated cellular energy requirements enabling them to develop symbiotic interactions with rhizobial bacteria. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Juri Dubinin, Hans-Peter Braun, Udo Schmitz, Frank Colditz. The mitochondrial proteome of the model legume Medicago truncatula. Biochimica et biophysica acta. 2011 Dec;1814(12):1658-68