Proteomic analysis reveals key proteins in seed germination of Cyclobalnopsis gilva

Abstract Trees dominate the structural and functional dynamics of many temperate and tropical forest ecosystems and are of considerable scientific and social interest. The effective ecological restoration of abandoned agricultural fields, especially of highly degraded ecosystems, remains a challenge. Germination is imperative to restore natural ecosystems and to save the environment. Low germination rate is key player to disturb the ecosystem. Cyclobalnopsis gilva is an economically important woody plant, however its germination rate is less than 50% in its natural habitats compared to that of other plants. A comparative proteomics approach was carried out to investigate this feature on germinated and non-germinated seeds of C. gilva . Proteins from seeds of C. gilva were extracted using phenol extraction, separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis, and identified through matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry. In addition, the results of proteome were verified through the RT-qPCR determination. More than 700 proteins were reproducibly detected. Among 26 proteins with 2-fold changes in abundance, the 24 differential proteins were identified successfully. Many differential proteins were involved in starch metabolism. β-amylase abundance and mRNA level were both up-regulated in germinated seeds of C. gilva . An important point to provides new insights into the understandings of C. gilva seed germination problems are found through 2-DE and RT-qPCR analyses to save the forest ecology and solve the problem of woody plants with low germination rate all over the world.