Protein interaction network of Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophyte development identifies novel proteins and relations

PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e49931. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049931. Epub 2012 Dec 11.

Abstract

Although the female gametophyte in angiosperms consists of just seven cells, it has a complex biological network. In this study, female gametophyte microarray data from Arabidopsis thaliana were integrated into the Arabidopsis interactome database to generate a putative interaction map of the female gametophyte development including proteome map based on biological processes and molecular functions of proteins. Biological and functional groups as well as topological characteristics of the network were investigated by analyzing phytohormones, plant defense, cell death, transporters, regulatory factors, and hydrolases. This approach led to the prediction of critical members and bottlenecks of the network. Seventy-four and 24 upregulated genes as well as 171 and 3 downregulated genes were identified in subtracted networks based on biological processes and molecular function respectively, including novel genes such as the pathogenesis-related protein 4, ER type Ca(2+) ATPase 3, dihydroflavonol reductase, and ATP disulfate isomerase. Biologically important relationships between genes, critical nodes, and new essential proteins such as AT1G26830, AT5G20850, CYP74A, AT1G42396, PR4 and MEA were found in the interactome's network. The positions of novel genes, both upregulated and downregulated, and their relationships with biological pathways, in particular phytohormones, were highlighted in this study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis* / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis* / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Germ Cells, Plant* / growth & development
  • Germ Cells, Plant* / metabolism
  • Magnoliopsida / growth & development
  • Magnoliopsida / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Ovule* / growth & development
  • Ovule* / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Maps / genetics*
  • Proteome / genetics
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Proteome
  • Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This work has been granted by the research grant of Dr. Batool Hosseinpour (Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology) and Dr. Esmaeil Ebrahimie (Shiraz University). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.