A Comparative Proteomics Study Revealing the Impact of Growing Region and Cultivar on Protein Expression in the Leaves of Nicotiana tabacum Plants

The physical and chemical properties of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants are sensitive to changes in genetics and the environment. However, few studies have investigated the effect of both cultivar and regional factors on tobacco quality at the proteomic level. Here, a TMT-based quantitative proteomics method was used to investigate proteome profiling of different tobacco leaves under various geographical locations. In total, 8587 proteins were detected, among which 300 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified. Proteins associated with carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism were more abundant in tobacco plants from Yunnan. In contrast, proteins involved in the response to heat were more abundant in tobacco plants from Henan. We found that proteins related to carbon metabolism and defense signaling played an important role in the characteristics of different cultivars within the same region. In this work, we identified key proteins and pathways involved in the response of Nicotiana tabacum to environmental change and explored the proteomic differences among cultivars. Our results provide a better understanding of the effect of environment and cultivar on the tobacco leaf proteome, which will be helpful for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the formation of tobacco characteristic quality.