Poster: Temperature responses

Abs # 116: A proteomic approach to identify proteins associated with cold tolerance in palms

Presenter:	Lokuge, Meepa A., lokugem1@muohio.edu
Authors	Lokuge, Meepa A. (A)   Lute, Susie K. (A)   Fakhar, Faiza  (A)   McCarty, Colin  (A)   Delaney, Kyle  (A)   Francko, David A. (A)   Wilson, Kenneth G. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): Miami University

In our previous field studies we report that several temperate palms can be grown under USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 conditions. Palms such as Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Trachycarpus fortunei, Sabal minor and S. palmetto are extremely resistant to cold. Based on a leaf disc cold-treatment assay we observed that although a portion of this cold-resistance phenotype may be present in summer foliage, a significant cold-acclimation occurs in late fall or early winter. In Arabidopsis many different genes are induced upon exposure to low temperatures and numerous transcripts are upregulated and others are down regulated in response to cold. However, much remains to be elucidated about plant survival in cold temperatures. Proteomics, which links genomics, genetics and physiology, is being utilized increasingly to study plant protein expression. We are using a proteomic approach to identify the proteins that are associated with cold tolerance in palms. Initially we compared the protein profiles of cold-treated and untreated plants (R. hystrix and S. palmetto). Proteins were extracted from plant leaves and separated using BIO-RAD IPG (pH 4-7) strips and SDS-PAGE gels. After staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250, three proteins have been identified that may be involved in cold tolerance in palms; one cold inducible, one cold repressible and one appears to be induced upon longer exposure to cold. Characterization of these proteins from 2-D gels will be performed using MALDI-TOF-MS and the data will be presented.