Protein Extraction from Woody Plants

In this chapter we present a protocol for total protein extraction optimized for wood-forming tissue (differentiating secondary xylem). The protocol is then used for a series of other organs (root, leaf, pollen, bud, flower, cambium, and phloem) in broadleaf (oak and poplar) and conifer (pine) species. Proteins are first extracted from tissue powdered in liquid nitrogen using the TCA-acetone method and then solubilized in an optimized buffer. The resulting 2D gels can be viewed at http://cbi.labri.fr/outils/protic/index.php .