Journal of Plant Physiology 211 (2017) 114–126 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Plant Physiology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jplph Original article Changes in the proteome of grapevine leaves (Vitis vinifera L.) during long-term drought stress Angelika Król ∗ , Stanisław Weidner Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Chair of Biochemistry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowskiego St. 1A, 10-957 Olsztyn, Kortowo, Poland a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 8 September 2016 Received in revised form 28 November 2016 Accepted 29 November 2016 Available online 20 January 2017 Keywords: Vitis vinifera Drought stress Leaves proteome a b s t r a c t The essence of exploring and understanding mechanisms of plant adaptation to environmental stresses lies in the determination of patterns of the expression of proteins, identification of stress proteins and their association with the specific functions in metabolic pathways. To date, little information has been provided about the proteomic response of grapevine to the persistent influence of adverse environmen- tal conditions. This article describes changes in the profile of protein accumulation in leaves of common grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) seedlings in response to prolonged drought. Isolated proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2 DE), and the proteins whose level of accumulation changed signif- icantly due to the applied stress factors were identified with tandem mass spectrometry MALDI TOF/TOF type. Analysis of the proteome of grapevine leaves led to the detection of many proteins whose synthesis changed in response to the applied stressor. Drought caused the most numerous changes in the accu- mulation of proteins associated with carbohydrate and energy metabolism, mostly connected with the pathways of glycolysis and photosystem II protein components. The biological function of the identified proteins is discussed with reference to the stress of drought. Some of the identified proteins, especially the ones whose accumulation increased during drought stress, may be responsible for the adaptation of grapevine to drought. © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Grapevine is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. The economy of many countries relies on the production of grapevines and wines. In 2011, the total acreage of grapevine plantations was nearly 8 million hectares (www.oiv.int). Abiotic stresses are the main factor that adversely affects the growth and yields of crops (Athar and Ashraf, 2009). It is estimated that around 30% of the land surface is exposed to a shortage of water, and the sum of annual precipitations over 10% of the world’s land cover is just ¼ of the water needed for the proper growth of plants. This is the reason that Abbreviations: ABA, abscisic acid; AMT, aminomethyltransferase; APX, ascorbate peroxidase; CA, carbonic anhydrase; DTT, dithiothreitol; EDTA, ethylenediaminete- traacetic acid; GADP, glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase; HSP, heat shock proteins; IFR, isoflavone reductase; MALDI TOF/TOF, matrix assisted laser desorp- tion ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight; MDH, malate dehydrogenase; NDK, nucleosidediphosphate kinase; PEPC, phosphoenolpyruate carboxylase; ROS, reac- tive oxygen species; RRF, ribosome recycling factor; RWC, relative water content; SAR, systemic acquired resistance; TLP, thaumatin-like protein. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail address: angelika.krol@uwm.edu.pl (A. Król). drought stress is considered to be among the major factors limiting the geographical presence of plants. Drought also has a negative effect on the quantity and quality of yields, and causes large losses in agriculture (Bhatt and SrinivasaRao, 2005). The grapevine is par- ticularly sensitive to drought in the early stages of growth. The consequences of drought include the inhibited growth and devel- opment of leaves and the root system, a lower number of set buds in internodes, and a lower average diameter of xylem vessels (Lovisolo et al., 2010). One of the earliest effects of drought observed in plants is the closure of stomata and the rolling of leaves. This response pre- vents excessive water transpiration, but simultaneously reduces gas exchange. It also causes considerable disturbances in the energy and carbohydrate metabolism (Jaleel et al., 2007). In addition to this, drought induces damage to cell membranes. The loss of tur- gor by cells leads to the collapse and rupture of the integrity of cell membranes. Moreover, dehydration of the protoplast results in an increased concentration of electrolytes. Drought also causes a change in the chemical potential of water inside cells, which often induces secondary osmotic stress (Dihazi et al., 2005). Reduction of the gas exchange and photosynthetic surface of leaves has a nega- tive influence on the functioning of photosystems, impairs energy generation and interferes with the activity of the respiratory chain http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2016.11.016 0176-1617/© 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.