The chloroplast proteome response to drought stress in cassava leaves

Abstract Cassava is an important tropical crop with strong resistance to drought stress. The chloroplast, the site of photosynthesis, is sensitive to stress, and the drought-response proteins in cassava chloroplasts are worthy of investigation. In this study, cassava leaves were collected for ultra-structure observation from plants subjected to different drought stress conditions. Our results showed that drought stress can promote starch accumulation in cassava chloroplasts. To evaluate changes in chloroplast proteins under different drought conditions, two-dimensional electrophoresis was performed using purified chloroplasts, which resulted in the identification of 26 unique chloroplast proteins responsive to drought stress. These drought-responsive proteins are predominantly related to photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Among them, most photosynthesis-related proteins are downregulated, with decreases in photosynthetic parameters upon drought stress. Several proteins associated with carbon and nitrogen metabolism, including rubisco and carbonic anhydrase, were upregulated, which might promote drought tolerance in cassava by enhancing the carbohydrate conversion efficiency and protecting the plant from oxidative stress. Our proteomic data not only provide insight into the complement of proteins in cassava chloroplasts but also further our overall understanding of drought-responsive proteins in cassava chloroplasts.