Abstract

Proteomic evidences can be pivotal to the discovery of new plant proteins and plant relationships, due to the diversity of form it can reveal. Seed storage protein profiles of 20 Fabaceae species: 4 grain-legumes and 16 non-pulses; of 16 genera and 10 tribes were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to estimate protein content diversity and the possible genetic relatedness. 28.3% similarity and 71.7% proteomic polymorphism was scored for the species. The high variability expressed by the lot reflects the genetic diversity amongst Fabaceae population. Dendrogram based on the proteomic data clustered the species into four groups. Aside two species, Albizia lebbeck and Albizia zygia belonging to the tribeIngeae and those of the tribe Caesalpinieae, the other species clustered with several other non-traditional cohorts resulting in a rearrangement that showed least semblance with phylogenetic relationships based on traditional morphology taxonomic delimitation. The similarity in profiles can be preliminarily forensic for proteins of importance whether for nutritional, industrial or for improvement of existing crops or for entirely new plants as crops. The protein mix, and the resultant relationship based on seed storage proteins instigates a review of erstwhile taxonomic, agricultural and research perspectives for the Fabaceae.

Key words: Fabaceae, seed protein, polymorphism, genetic diversity, taxonomy, single protein.