BMC Genomics (Jul 2019)

Comparative proteomic analysis of Tibetan pig spermatozoa at high and low altitudes

  • Yanling Zhao,
  • Xiaoli Lu,
  • Zhipeng Cheng,
  • Mengfang Tian,
  • Yangzong Qiangba,
  • Qiang Fu,
  • Zili Ren

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-5873-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background To illuminate the mechanisms underlying the high-altitude tolerance of Tibetan pig spermatozoa, proteomes of spermatozoa from Tibetan pigs raised in high and low altitudes were compared using a tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeled quantitative proteomics approach. Results A total of 77 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed DEPs that were predominantly associated with the actin cytoskeleton, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism, and were from 12 enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Three subnetworks were significantly enriched and 10 centric proteins were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Relative expression levels of the proteins (ATP5H, CYCS, MYH9 and FN1) were confirmed using Western blotting. Conclusions Our study is the first to use a tandem mass tag (TMT) approach to analyze Tibetan pig spermatozoa, and provides a foundation to understand the mechanisms underlying the reproductive adaptations of Tibetan pigs to high-altitude environments.

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