Expression and function of proteins during development of the basal region in rice seedlings

A differential display of proteins with a two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis approach was used to analyze protein expression changes during development of the basal region in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare). The proteins were detected as 700 Coomassie Brilliant Blue-stained spots with pI values from around 3.5 to 9.0. A proteome reference map was established for the basal region of two-week-old seedlings. The basal region proteome map was used to analyze quantitative variations in the tissue during development from 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-week-old seedlings. During development, 31 proteins were up-regulated, and 30 proteins were down-regulated compared with the 2-week-old basal region proteome map. The main functions of these proteins were primary metabolism and protein synthesis or maintenance. Calreticulin precursor, enolase, and voltage-dependent anion channel were identified among the up- and down-regulated proteins. The twin spots of calreticulin precursor and enolase with different pI values are possibly due to post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation. In addition, seven proteins showed developmental stage-specific expression. All of the developmentally regulated proteins of the basal region were clustered by the S-system, a differential equation that fit to time course of cluster and analyzed for cluster relationships. Proteins with unknown functions were tentatively assigned to functional groups based on cluster relationships. Basal region development proteome data will be valuable for resolving questions in functional genomics. In addition, cluster analysis of the basal region proteome during development will be useful for the assessment of functional proteins.