Alterations in Whey Protein Abundance Correlated with the Somatic Cell Count Identified via Label-Free and Selected Reaction Monitoring Proteomic Approaches
Jing Li,
Kaixu Chen,
Changjiang Zang,
Xiaowei Zhao,
Zhiqiang Cheng,
Xiaobin Li,
Caidie Wang,
Yong Chen,
Kailun Yang
Affiliations
Jing Li
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Kaixu Chen
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Changjiang Zang
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Xiaowei Zhao
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Zhiqiang Cheng
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Xiaobin Li
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Caidie Wang
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Yong Chen
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Kailun Yang
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
The somatic cell count (SCC) is widely used to assess milk quality and diagnose intramammary infections. Several whey proteins have been shown to correlate significantly with SCC and are considered potential indicators of udder health. However, the relationship between milk whey proteins and SCC has not been fully elucidated. In this study, milk samples were grouped into five categories based on SCC levels. Subsequently, whey proteins were identified using a label-free proteomics approach, and the differential abundance of proteins was validated through a selected reaction monitoring (SRM) method. The levels of various proteins, including azurocidin 1 and kininogen-2, exhibited an increase, whereas topoisomerase I, tropomyosin-1, and desmin showed a significant decrease depending on the SCCs. Principal component analysis unveiled that these proteins contributed to the developmental alterations in milk proteins. A majority of these differentially abundant proteins were associated with response to stimulus, localization, and defense response. Our results provide fundamental information on the SCC that can be utilized for evaluating milk quality and serve as potential indicators for detecting intramammary infections.
