VARIABILITY IN ALGERIAN Quercus suber POPULATIONS AS DETERMINED BY PROTEOMICS ANALYSIS OF ACORNS

Abstract

This study aims to explore the natural variability of Algerian cork oak (Quercus suber) populations to support efforts to restore and sustain cork oak forests. For that, we used a gel-based proteomic (SDS-PAGE-MS-MALDI-TOF/TOF) to analyze the proteome profiles of acorns from five populations of Quercus suber in West Algeria. The objectives were approached by identifying differential protein bands through univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, which were subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry. A total of 26 proteins were characterized using a combination of peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) and MS/MS fragmentation, with 52 protein bands assigned to various functional categories. The findings highlight many proteins associated with the stress response, including chaperone proteins such as CLPB and HSP70. Additionally, key proteins, including rpoC2 and the Fanconi-associated nuclease one homolog, which play critical roles in DNA transcription and repair, were identified. The results demonstrate that Algerian acorn genotypes exhibit a high abundance of heat shock proteins, indicating their potential for adaptation to environmental conditions. Based on the provided data, the regions that stand out as distinct are Q. suber Nesmoth and Q. suber Hafir, which show a greater representation of developmental proteins, RNA-binding proteins, seed storage proteins, and transferases, suggesting a more pronounced adaptation to environmental stressors in these regions compared to others.