Proteome profile changes in two grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L. cv: Nebbiolo and Barbera) infected by Flavescence Dorée Phytoplasma

Flavescence dorée is a quarantine disease of Vitis vinifera in Europe, caused by a phytoplasma (FD phytoplasma, FDp), plant pathogenic prokaryote in the class Mollicutes. Despite the great economic relevance, the physiology and molecular basis of the disease are still poorly understood. We described the use of two-dimensional-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) to study changes in protein expression between infected and healthy samples from cvs. Nebbiolo and Barbera. These cvs are widely grown in North-Western Italy and produce economically-important wines of high-quality. They differ in susceptibility to the disease, but the nature of this difference is unknown . Vineyards were widly surveyed to collect samples showing FD symptoms, and vines which were psingly-FDp infected were identified. Total proteins were extracted with trichloroacetic acid/acetone protocol and separated by 2D-PAGE. Gel images were analyzed using PDQuest software (Bio-Rad) and differentially expressed proteins were identified using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Protein function was identified using BLAST and SWISS-PROT databases, and grouped according to the metabolic pathway involved. The data obtained provided information on qualitative and quantitative changes in grapevine provoked by FDp,infection, and the differential response of varieties with a different disease sensibility. This is the first report of a proteomic approach to analyze the phytoplasma/grapevine interaction.