Proteomic analysis of symbiotic proteins of Glomus mosseae and Amorpha fruticosa

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) can colonize the roots of Amorpha fruticosa, a perennial leguminous woody shrub and form arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). AMF have significant promoting effects on A. fruticosa growth as the intensity of fungal colonization increases. Taking AMF-A. fruticosa symbionts as the experimental material, gel-free isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to investigate the expression of A. fruticosa mycorrhizal proteins at the maturation stage. A total of 3,473 proteins were identified, of which 77 showed dramatic changes in their root expression levels; 33 increased and 44 decreased. We also found nine AMF proteins that were expressed with AMF treatment. The 77 proteins were classified according to function. Plant proteins were assigned into 11 categories: metabolism-related (32%), protein folding and degradation-related (22%), energy-related (10%), protein synthesis-related (8%), stress and defense-related (24%), transcription-related (6%), membrane and transport-related (4%), cellular structure-related (2.5%), signaling transduction-related (11%) and unknown proteins (5%). The results of the study provide a foundation for further investigation of the metabolic characteristics and molecular mechanisms of AM.