Proteome analyses of Jatropha curcas

Abstract

Plant proteomes are complex and therefore their analyses represent major technical challenges. In fact, proteome analyses depend on several crucial steps, such as the amount of proteins, extraction, separation, visualization, identification, quantification, and the interaction between proteins and other molecules in a plant tissue at a given time. To date it is recognized, that there is no single method able to describe an entire plant proteome. Even though several alternatives exist, the most widely used methodology for proteome analysis includes two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics tools. The Jatropha proteome represents a valuable field of study related to gene functions since many biochemical pathways of fatty acids and secondary metabolites in this species provide an alternative potential source to fossil oil useful for production of biodiesel. Therefore, a detailed proteome analysis of J. curcas using gel-based electrophoresis combined with identification by mass spectrometric analyses could help to understand its potentials as a source of biofuel. Due to the low correlation between protein expression level and mRNA in plant tissues, it is not advisable to predict a final amount of protein from quantities of mRNA. However, it is generally accepted that protein analysis allows to identify so far unknown genes and to assign them a function. This chapter provides a selection of methods, reproducible with the highest resolution and quality of results from sample preparation to proteins identification of J. curcas.