Changes in Protein Expression Patterns of Lime Leaves Caused by Witches’ Broom Disease

witches' broom" Disease created by the "Candidatus phytoplasma aurantifolia"  is one of important citrus disease that cause significant economic losses in Iran, western Asia and North Africa. In this study the effect of disease stress on leaf proteome was investigated. Leaf samples were collected from plants and were analyzed using 2-DE coupled with MS. The power of 2DE for proteins separation makes it possible that various qualitative change (whether or not or shift) and quantitative (increased or decreased expression) protein in normal and stress conditions are studied. Among 801 leaf proteins that in eight biological replicates of healthy and eight biological replicates of infected plants were analyzed by melani6 software, 63 proteins showed a significant response to the disease, MS results indicated 19 proteins, that were involved in oxidative stress defense, photosynthesis, metabolism, and the stress response