In the temperate climate of the northern hemisphere, winter survival of woody plants is determined by the ability to acclimate
to freezing temperatures and to undergo a period of dormancy. Cold acclimation in many woody plants is initially induced by
short photoperiod and low, non-freezing temperatures. These two factors (5°C and short photoperiod) were used to study changes
in the proteome of bark tissues of 1-year-old peach trees. Difference in-gel electrophoresis technology, a gel-based approach
involving the labeling of proteins with different fluorescent dyes, was used to conduct a quantitative assessment of changes
in the peach bark proteome during cold acclimation. Using this approach, we were able to identify differentially expressed
proteins and to assign them to a class of either ‘temperature-responsive’ or ‘photoperiod-responsive’ proteins. The most significant
factor affecting the proteome appeared to be low temperature, while the combination of low temperature and short photoperiod
was shown to act either synergistically or additively on the expression of some proteins. Fifty-seven protein spots on gels
were identified by mass spectrometry. They included proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., enolase, malate dehydrogenase,
etc), defense or protective mechanisms (e.g., dehydrin, HSPs, and PR-proteins), energy production and electron transport (e.g.,
adenosine triphosphate synthases and lyases), and cytoskeleton organization (e.g., tubulins and actins). The information derived
from the analysis of the proteome is discussed as a function of the two treatment factors: low temperature and short photoperiod.
Keywords Proteome - Cold hardiness - Cold acclimation
Communicated by R. Sederoff