Shotgun Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics of Water-Deficit-Stressed Midmature Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seed

Legume seeds and peanuts, in particular, are an inexpensive source of plant proteins and edible oil. A comprehensive understanding of seed metabolism and the effects of water-deficit stress on the incorporation of the main storage reserves in seeds, such as proteins, fatty acids, starch, and secondary metabolites, will enhance our ability to improve seed quality and yield through molecular breeding programs. In the present study, we employed a label-free quantitative proteomics approach to study the functional proteins altered in the midmature (65-70 days postanthesis) peanut seed grown under water-deficit stress conditions. We created a pod-specific proteome database and identified 93 nonredundant, statistically significant, and differentially expressed proteins between well-watered and drought-stressed seeds. Mapping of these differential proteins revealed three candidate biological pathways (glycolysis, sucrose and starch metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism) that were significantly altered due to water-deficit stress. Differential accumulation of proteins from these pathways provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed physiological changes, which include reductions in pod yield and biomass, reduced germination, reduced vigor, decreased seed membrane integrity, increase in storage proteins, and decreased total fatty acid content. Some of the proteins encoding rate limiting enzymes of biosynthetic pathways could be utilized by breeders to improve peanut seed production during water-deficit conditions in the field. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000308.