Quantitative proteomics analysis to assess protein expression levels in the ovaries of pubescent goats
Ping Qin,
Jing Ye,
Xinbao Gong,
Xu Yan,
Maosen Lin,
Tao Lin,
Tong Liu,
Hailing Li,
Xiujuan Wang,
Yanyun Zhu,
Xiaoqian Li,
Ya Liu,
Yunsheng Li,
Yinghui Ling,
Xiaorong Zhang,
Fugui Fang
Affiliations
Ping Qin
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Jing Ye
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Xinbao Gong
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Xu Yan
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Maosen Lin
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Tao Lin
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Tong Liu
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Hailing Li
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Xiujuan Wang
Animal Husbandry Development Center, Huoqiu Animal Health Supervision Institute, Huoqiu County
Yanyun Zhu
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Xiaoqian Li
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Ya Liu
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Yunsheng Li
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Yinghui Ling
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry, Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Xiaorong Zhang
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Fugui Fang
Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University
Abstract Background Changes in the abundance of ovarian proteins play a key role in the regulation of reproduction. However, to date, no studies have investigated such changes in pubescent goats. Herein we applied isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the expression levels of ovarian proteins in pre-pubertal (n = 3) and pubertal (n = 3) goats. Results Overall, 7,550 proteins were recognized; 301 (176 up- and 125 downregulated) were identified as differentially abundant proteins (DAPs). Five DAPs were randomly selected for expression level validation by Western blotting; the results of Western blotting and iTRAQ analysis were consistent. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that DAPs were enriched in olfactory transduction, glutathione metabolism, and calcium signaling pathways. Besides, gene ontology functional enrichment analysis revealed that several DAPs enriched in biological processes were associated with cellular process, biological regulation, metabolic process, and response to stimulus. Protein–protein interaction network showed that proteins interacting with CDK1, HSPA1A, and UCK2 were the most abundant. Conclusions We identified 301 DAPs, which were enriched in olfactory transduction, glutathione metabolism, and calcium signaling pathways, suggesting the involvement of these processes in the onset of puberty. Further studies are warranted to more comprehensively explore the function of the identified DAPs and aforementioned signaling pathways to gain novel, deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying the onset of puberty.
