RESEARCH ARTICLE
Characterization of Carotenoid-protein Complexes and Gene Expression Analysis Associated with Carotenoid Sequestration in Pigmented Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Storage Root
Luiz Joaquim Castelo Branco Carvalho*, 1, John Lippolis2, Songbi Chen3, Claudia Regina Batista de Souza4, Eduardo A Vieira5, James V Anderson6
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2012Volume: 6
First Page: 116
Last Page: 130
Publisher ID: TOBIOCJ-6-116
DOI: 10.2174/1874091X01206010116
Article History:
Received Date: 30/3/2012Revision Received Date: 24/5/2012
Acceptance Date: 24/5/2012
Electronic publication date: 26/11/2012
Collection year: 2012

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http: //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Carotenoid-protein complex (CPC) was isolated from chromoplast-enriched suspensions of cassava storage root (CSR) using size exclusion chromatography and characterized. Peptide sequences (LC_MS/MS spectrum) obtained from CPC and their corresponding proteins were obtained using publically available databases. Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSPs) were the most abundant proteins identified in the CPC. Western blot analysis showed that Fribrillin and Or-protein were present in chromoplast-enriched suspensions of yellow root but not in the complex or white root. Results from qRT-PCR helped identify an isoform of HSP21 possessing four single point mutations in the intense yellow CSR that may be responsible for increased sequestration of b-carotene.