Journal of Proteomics & Bioinformatics
Open Access

Abstract

Advances in Proteomics and Bioinformatics in Agriculture Research and Crop Improvement

Keyura Katam, Khoranhlai Anjuli Jones and Katsumi Sakata

Proteomics is the study of proteins on a genome-wide scale. Within the wide field of functional OMICS, proteomics has become a useful tool. The completion of genome sequencing projects and the improvement of methods for protein characterization surges this action forward. Presently, the usage of proteomics is being extended to analyze the different features of proteins including the activities and structures, and protein-protein interactions. Proteomics research is quite advanced in animals, yeast and bacteria, but it is still in the beginning stages of plant research, due to its highly complex and dynamic status. In view of the advances in crop biotechnology, it is critical to understand the role of proteins during plant development and response to biotic and abiotic stimuli. In this review, we presented several plant proteomic studies to illustrate the applications of proteomic studies in crop productivity. The advances in proteomics in recent years include protein isolation methods, mass spectrometry, protein-protein interactions and post translational modifications. We further discuss the strengths and weaknesses of proteomic technologies and the limitations of current techniques in the perspective of plant biology. We conclude that advances in protein interactions and bioinformatics will have an increasing impact on better understanding the various functional aspects in plants, such as PTM, subcellular localization and protein interactions.