This study examined the effect of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a phthalate ester (PAE) and an endocrine disruptor, on water celery, Ipomoea aquatica Forsk., one of the most popular leaf vegetables in Taiwan. After 28 days of cultivation, treatment with 100 mgL⁻¹ BBP retarded plant growth and decreased biomass and number of mature leaves and caused the accumulation of proline in leaves of water celery, but the concentrations of chlorophyll a and b in the leaves remained constant. 2-D gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of the proteome of leaf tissue revealed five protein spots with up- and down-regulated expression. The predicted protein XP_001417439 was down-regulated, which explained inhibition of plant growth, and the proteina XP_001417040, calreticulin, GAI-like protein 1, and (-)-linalool synthase were up-regulated, which indicates interference with the cell cycle and protein synthesis, as well as dwarfism of water celery. BBP is a stressor on the growth of water celery, and proteome analysis revealed the up- and down-regulation of genes involved in plant growth with BBP treatment.
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