Label-free Quantification Reveals Major Proteomic Changes in Pseudomonas putida F1 During the Exponential Growth Phase

The physiological adaptation to stationary growth by Pseudomonas putida F1, a model organism for the degradation of aromatic compounds, was investigated by proteome-wide label-free quantification. The data unveiled that entrance to the stationary phase did not involve an abrupt switch within the P. putida F1 proteome, but rather an ongoing adaptation that started already during the mid-exponential growth phase. The proteomic adaptations involved a clear increase in amino acid degradation capabilities and a loss of transcriptional as well as translational capacity. The final entrance to the stationary phase was accompanied by increased oxidative stress protection, although the stress and stationary sigma factor RpoS increased in abundance already during mid-exponential growth. The results show that it is important to consider significant sample variations when exponentially growing cultures are studied alone or compared across proteomic or transcriptomic literature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.