RESUMO
BACKGROUND: A genetically modified (GM) common bean event, namely Embrapa 5.1, was approved for commercialization in Brazil. The present work aimed to use principal component analysis (PCA) to compare the proteomic profile of this GM common bean and its non-GM counterpart. RESULTS: Seedlings from four Brazilian common bean varieties were grown under controlled environmental conditions. Leaf proteomic profiles were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). First, a comparison among 12 gels from four common bean varieties was performed by PCA using volume percentage of 198 matched spots, presented in all gels. The first two principal components (PC) accounted for 46.8% of total variation. Two groups were clearly separated by the first component: Pérola and GM Pérola from Pontal and GM Pontal. Secondly, another comparison among six gels from the same variety GM and its non-GM counterpart was performed by PCA; in this case it was possible to distinguish GM and non-GM. CONCLUSION: Separation between leaf proteomic profile of GM common bean variety and its counterpart was observed only when they were compared in pairs. These results showed higher similarity between GM variety and its counterpart than between two common bean varieties. PCA is a useful tool to compare proteomes of GM and non-GM plant varieties.