Periodic Report Summary - PROTEOMICS OF CHERNO (The quantitative proteomics analysis of developing embryo, endosperm and seed coat in control and Chernobyl-grown plants)
The accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant (CNPP) on April 26, 1986 is the most serious nuclear disaster in human history. Surprisingly, while the area proximal to the CNPP remains substantially contaminated with long-lived radioisotopes including strontium-90 (90Sr) and caesium-137 (137Cs), the local ecosystem has been able to adapt. The aim of this project was to investigate seed development of soybean and flax during their adaptation in the radioactive Chernobyl area.
For this purpose, radioactive and control fields were firstly established in the area of interest. During the second half of the project, the analysis of first generation of mature flax seeds revealed that only 35 protein spots differed in abundance out of the 720 protein spots that were quantified for seeds harvested from both radio-contaminated and control fields. Based on the observed changes, working models for plant adaptation towards radioactive Chernobyl conditions were proposed. In the second plants generation a comparative analysis of protein abundances during seed development suggested that the great majority of seed proteins did not change in abundance when plants were grown in radioactive soil. We observed that the concordance in pattern of abundance depended on protein function and stage of seed development. Additionally, for mature flax seeds harvested from the remediated area:
1. a quantitative protein map that included 85 proteins was created
2. abundance profiles for 102 proteins through flax seed development in remediated areas were established.
These data provided an extensive descriptive platform for flax seeds harvested from the remediated, formerly radioactive Chernobyl area. Such data could lead to the development of future agricultural practices for formerly radioactive areas.
For this purpose, radioactive and control fields were firstly established in the area of interest. During the second half of the project, the analysis of first generation of mature flax seeds revealed that only 35 protein spots differed in abundance out of the 720 protein spots that were quantified for seeds harvested from both radio-contaminated and control fields. Based on the observed changes, working models for plant adaptation towards radioactive Chernobyl conditions were proposed. In the second plants generation a comparative analysis of protein abundances during seed development suggested that the great majority of seed proteins did not change in abundance when plants were grown in radioactive soil. We observed that the concordance in pattern of abundance depended on protein function and stage of seed development. Additionally, for mature flax seeds harvested from the remediated area:
1. a quantitative protein map that included 85 proteins was created
2. abundance profiles for 102 proteins through flax seed development in remediated areas were established.
These data provided an extensive descriptive platform for flax seeds harvested from the remediated, formerly radioactive Chernobyl area. Such data could lead to the development of future agricultural practices for formerly radioactive areas.