Proteome Analysis of Pitcher Fluid of the Carnivorous Plant Nepenthes alata
peer-reviewed · Journal of Proteome Research · 2008
| Date | 2008-02-01 |
| Type | peer-reviewed |
| Venue | Journal of Proteome Research |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society (ACS) |
| Contribution | downstream-application |
| DOI | 10.1021/pr700566d |
| Citations (OpenAlex) | 125 |
| Venue 2-year citedness | 3.83 |
Abstract
The genus Nepenthes comprises carnivorous plants that digest insects in pitcher fluid to supplement their nitrogen uptake. In a recent study, two acid proteinases (nepenthesins I and II) were purified from the pitcher fluid. However, no other enzymes involved in prey digestion have been identified, although several enzyme activities have been reported. To identify all the proteins involved, we performed a proteomic analysis of Nepenthes pitcher fluid. The secreted proteins in pitcher fluid were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and several protein bands were detected by silver staining. The proteins were identified by in-gel tryptic digestion, de novo peptide sequencing, and homology searches against public databases. The proteins included homologues of beta-D-xylosidase, beta-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, and thaumatin-like protein, most of which are designated “pathogenesis-related proteins”. These proteins presumably inhibit bacterial growth in the pitcher fluid to ensure sufficient nutrients for Nepenthes growth.
Methods and tools
- Nepenthes pitcher fluid proteome: Identifies the digestive enzymes in carnivorous Nepenthes alata pitcher fluid by de novo sequencing of in-gel tryptic peptides followed by homology search.