Proteome analysis of stored carrots grown in different cropping systems for evaluating changes in susceptibility to liquorice rot during storage

Summary

During post harvest storage, a big amount of carrots (more than 50%) can be discared due to the development of liquorices rot caused by Mycocentrospora acerina. This fungus is soil borne and overwinters in the soil as clamydiospores. M. acerina is brought into the store in to soil adhering to the root. Control of liquorice rot is mainly related to physiological or structural resistance of carrot, and to other factors as storage conditions and cultural practices.
It is believed that carrots at the beginning of storage can resist disease development due to chemical defence mechanisms within some proteins and peptides are considered to be important. The hypothesis is that proteome changes during storage of carrots are related to the susceptibility to M. acerina.
The carrots used in this study are grown under four different agricultural practices (one conventional, three organic) in order to investigate the effect of the cropping system on the susceptibility to liquorices rot.
For instance, we develop bioassay for infection studies of M. acerina on conventional and organic carrots in order to determine the important time points of the infection process. Then the proteome will be investigated at these different time points. The isolation of proteins still needs to be improved in order to obtain an optimal recovery of proteins from both plant and pathogens. Proteomes of carrot and of M. acerina will be characterized by two dimensional gel electrophoreses. Then proteins whose expression changes, will be identified by mass spectrometry in order to understand better the processes during storage and infection.