Changes in the sap proteome of Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus urophylla plants grown at elevated CO₂ atmosphere

Abstract

The last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates a likelihood of CO₂ concentrations reaching unprecedented levels by 2050. Understanding how plants adapt to such climate scenarios is critical, as plants rely on metabolic and physiological changes to overcome environmental challenges. Identifying alterations in plant sap molecules provides key insights into adaptation and long-distance communication under elevated CO₂ conditions. Here, we characterized the sap proteome of Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus urophylla cultivated in elevated CO₂ conditions for 20 days. Growth under enriched CO2 (680 ppm) tended to increase sugar content in both species and a total of 180 proteins were identified as sap proteins and used for data analysis. The results revealed distinct responses between the species, with E. grandis emphasizing processes related to rapid growth and biomass accumulation, while E. urophylla prioritized stress tolerance and cellular homeostasis. This study underscores the importance of vascular proteome research for understanding systemic responses and long-distance signaling in plants under changing environmental conditions, providing a framework for linking proteomics to physiological processes in Eucalyptus species with valuable implications for silvicultural practices, breeding programs, and forest management.