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Shotgun proteomics of quinoa seeds reveals chitinases enrichment under rainfed conditions
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  • Maria Reguera,
  • Laura Poza-Viejo,
  • Miguel Redondo-Nieto,
  • Javier Matías,
  • Verónica Cruz,
  • Sara Granado-Rodríguez,
  • Isaac Maestro-Gaitán,
  • Enrique Olmos,
  • Luis Bolanos
Maria Reguera
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Laura Poza-Viejo
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia
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Miguel Redondo-Nieto
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia
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Javier Matías
Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX
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Verónica Cruz
Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX
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Sara Granado-Rodríguez
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia
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Isaac Maestro-Gaitán
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia
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Enrique Olmos
Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura
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Luis Bolanos
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Departamento de Biologia
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Abstract

Quinoa is an Andean crop whose cultivation has been extended to many different parts of the world in the last decade. It shows a great capacity for adaptation to diverse climate conditions, including environmental stressors, and moreover, the seeds are very nutritious in part due to their high protein content which is rich in essential amino acids. They also contain good amounts of other nutrients such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, or minerals and are gluten-free seeds. Also, the use of quinoa hydrolysates and peptides has been linked to numerous health benefits. Altogether, these aspects have situated quinoa as a crop able to contribute to food security worldwide. Aiming to deepen our understanding of the protein quality and function of quinoa seeds and how they can vary when this crop is subjected to water-limiting conditions, a shotgun proteomics analysis was performed to obtain the proteomes of quinoa seeds harvested from two different water regimes in field: rainfed and irrigated conditions. Overrepresented proteins in seeds from each field condition were analysed, and the enrichment of chitinase-related proteins in seeds harvested from rainfed conditions was found. These proteins are described as pathogen-related proteins and can be accumulated under abiotic stress. Thus, our findings suggest that chitinase-like proteins in quinoa seeds can be potential biomarkers of drought. Also, this study points to the need for further research to unveil their role in conferring tolerance when coping with water-deficient conditions.