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Title: Establishing a leaf proteome reference map for Ginkgo biloba provides insight into potential ethnobotanical uses

Author
item UVACKOVA, LUBICA - Institute Of Plant Genetics And Biotech
item ONDRUSKOVA, EMILIA - Institute Of Forrest Ecology
item DANCHENKO, MAKSYM - Institute Of Virology
item SKULTETY, LUDOVIT - Institute Of Virology
item Miernyk, Jan
item HRUBIK, PAVEL - Slovak University Of Agriculture
item HAJDUCH, MARTIN - Institute Of Plant Genetics And Biotech

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2014
Publication Date: 11/3/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/59996
Citation: Uvackova, L., Ondruskova, E., Danchenko, M., Skultety, L., Miernyk, J.A., Hrubik, P., Hajduch, M. 2014. Establishing a leaf proteome reference map for Ginkgo biloba provides insight into potential ethnobotanical uses. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 62:11547-11556.

Interpretive Summary: A method was developed to isolate proteins from leaves of the "living fossil tree," Ginkgo biloba. The proteins were identified by chemical degradation and compared with proteins from contemporary trees and crop plants. Because they contain a suite of unusual low molecular weight chemicals, Ginkgo leaves are commonly used in alternative medicine. The bases for both the chemical composition and medicinal applications might be determined from knowledge of the proteins present in leaves. A method was developed to help with protein identification in plant species for which there is no complete DNA sequence available. Soybean plants also contain unusual low molecular weight chemicals. This information might be used to replace ginkgo with soybean as a source of chemcals for use in alternative medicine. The information will be most useful to to other scientists, including breeders and those using a biotech-approach to modifying seed composition.

Technical Abstract: Although ginkgo (Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba L.) is an ancient medicinal and ornamental tree, there has not previously been any systematic proteomic study of the leaves. Herein we describe results from the initial study identifying abundant ginkgo leaf proteins and present a gel reference map. Proteins were isolated from fully developed mature leaves in biological triplicate and analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis plus tandem mass spectrometry. Using this approach we were able to reproducibly quantify 190 abundant protein spots, from which 158 proteins were identified. Most of identified proteins are associated with the energy and protein destination / storage categories. The reference map provides a basis for understanding the accumulation of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds in mature leaves (e.g., identification of chalcone synthase, the first committed enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis). We additionally detected several proteins of as yet unknown function. These proteins comprise a pool of potential targets that might be useful in non-traditional medical applications.