Comparative Proteomics of Chloroplasts Envelopes from Bundle Sheath and Mesophyll Chloroplasts Reveals Novel Membrane Proteins with a Possible Role in C4-Related Metabolite Fluxes and Development

As the world population grows, our need for food increases drastically. Limited amounts of arable land lead to a competition between food and fuel crops, while changes in the global climate may impact future crop yields. Thus, a second “green revolution” will need a better understanding of the processes essential for plant growth and development. One approach toward the solution of this problem is to better understand regulatory and transport processes in C4 plants. C4 plants display an up to 10-fold higher apparent CO(2) assimilation and higher yields while maintaining high water use efficiency. This requires differential regulation of mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) chloroplast development as well as higher metabolic fluxes of photosynthetic intermediates between cells and particularly across chloroplast envelopes. While previous analyses of overall chloroplast membranes have yielded significant insight, our comparative proteomics approach using enriched BS and M chloroplast envelopes of Zea mays allowed us to identify 37 proteins of unknown function that have not been seen in these earlier studies. We identified 280 proteins, 84% of which are known/predicted to be present in chloroplasts. Seventy-four percent have a known or predicted membrane association. Twenty-one membrane proteins were 2–15 times more abundant in BS cells, while 36 of the proteins were more abundant in M chloroplast envelopes. These proteins could represent additional candidates of proteins essential for development or metabolite transport processes in C4 plants. RT-PCR confirmed differential expression of 13 candidate genes. Chloroplast association for seven proteins was confirmed using YFP/GFP labeling. Gene expression of four putative transporters was examined throughout the leaf and during the greening of leaves. Genes for a PIC-like protein and an ER-AP-like protein show an early transient increase in gene expression during the transition to light. In addition, PIC gene expression is increased in the immature part of the leaf and was lower in the fully developed parts of the leaf, suggesting a need for/incorporation of the protein during chloroplast development.