Mass Spectrometry based Identification and Characterization of 28 kDa protein from Teliospores of Karnal Bunt Pathogen Tilletia Indica

Background: Karnal bunt (KB) of wheat incited by Tilletia indica is an economically important quarantined fungal disease that cause huge economical loss to agricultural productivity. MethodsIn the present investigation, we have characterized the unique immunoreactive determinant present on the teliospore’s wall of Tilletia indica employing proteomic and in-silico approaches . The 28 kDa protein from the teliospore’s walls was eluted from the preparative gels and further subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Mass spectrometry was carried out in search of teliosporic protein(s).ResultsProteomic analysis identified and characterized proteins as small Heat shock protein (sHSP20) and Trehalose-6-phosphatase synthase (TPS) in T.indica. In-silico analysis confirmed the function of the identified protein as a sHSP and TPS belonging to stress response and carbohydrate metabolism. These results were further complemented to identify the homologs of proteins by sequence and structure based functional annotation using genome sequence of T. indica. The potential diagnostic protein present in immunoreactive 28 kDa of teliospores wall entities are sHSP and TPS. Conclusion This study is the first to perform finding indicated that proteins sHSP and TPS act as functional protein, involve in the pathogen protection under stress condition. Together these proteins increase our understanding of the transition from vegetative to sporulation process of T. indica by activation of sHSP-TPS, especially in terms of energy metabolism and stimulus responses. Identification of such protein(s) may also provide an opportunity to generate specific immunoprobes for development of rapid immuno-diagnostic assay.