Characterization of plasma membrane proteins from maize roots (Zea mays L.) under multiple abiotic stresses using LC-MS/MS technique

The aim of this study was to understand the response of maize inbred plants showing tolerance when exposed to various abiotic stresses (drought x low-N and waterlogging x low-N stress) simultaneously. The plants under stress expressed higher photosynthetic efficiency, increase in plant height, leaf area, and were able to maintain relatively high leaf relative water content and less decrease in morphological parameters. Therefore, to understand the processes controlling the tolerance to various stresses we analyzed maize roots plasma membranes proteome of treated plants only using LC-MS/MS techniques. The large number of proteins (295) were identified which were mainly trans membrane proteins, low abundance proteins, and root specific proteins. Further, a few proteins were selected like high-affinity Nitrate transporter, NR enzyme, PEP carboxylase, and Glutamine synthetase proteins their induction were validated by qRT-PCR approach in control and treated plants. The qRT-PCR results indicated the gene of all four proteins were expressed in treated and control plants. We concluded the high-affinity nitrate transporter proteins might represent the executive part of the protective response that plays a significant role in low-N stress tolerance. The presence of other major proteins like kinases, stress-responsive TFs, calmodulin, aquaporins, stress-related proteins, and many more proteins and their interaction with nitrate transporter proteins and their role can be validated only after comparing it with control samples.