Proteomic Analysis of the Seeds of Four Wild Mexican Lupinus Species: Focus on Storage Proteins

Lupinus is a wide genus, comprising between 300 and 500 species, most of them represented in America. Mexico is a secondary distribution center with more than 100 species growing along the highlands. Due to morphological similarities, the taxonomy of wild Lupinus species is still incomplete. It is, therefore, useful to collect morphological, chemical, and molecular data for the correct differentiation of these plants. In the present work, the composition of the seed proteins of four species: Lupinus aschenbornii Schauer, Lupinus campestris Cham and Schlecht, Lupinus hintonii C.P. Smith, and Lupinus montanus Kunth were analyzed. Seeds were collected at Iztaccihuatl—Popocatepetl National Park. Both total proteins and single protein families, purified by chromatographic procedures, were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and 2D-electrophoresis and by LC-MS/MS analysis. Data were compared with those of domesticated species whose proteomes had been already described in the literature. The protein profile may be useful for species identification since they have specific characteristics in each single species.