Comparative proteomic analysis of ancient plants and monocots identifies proteins important for rhizome growth and development

The rhizome was the original plant stem that confers competitiveness and invasiveness to many of the world’s worst weeds, such as the grasses Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), quack grass (Agropyron repens), cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), common reed (Phragmites australis) and red rice (Oryza longistaminata), and primitive plants such as horsetail (Equisetum arvense). In addition rhizomes impart positive economic benefits in plants such as ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa), miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) and giant reed (Arundo donax). An extensive comparative transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic investigation of these plants has identified a number of genes, metabolites and proteins that are rhizome-specific and that appear to play important roles in regulating rhizome differentiation and growth. Although integration of all datasets will be presented, the focus of this talk will be on the proteins identified, and their putative or confirmed roles in rhizome growth and development.