Abstract
The plateau adaptability and stress resistance of yaks are widely known based on their capacity to survive under severe habitat conditions. However, a few studies on brain mitochondria have characterized these adaptations at the protein level. We identified and quantified the brain mitochondrial proteins using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) and Proteomics. Western blotting was used to verify changes in the expression of target proteins. A total of 57 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified in the yak brain tissue. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed molecular functions of these DAPs including downregulated oxidoreductase activity but upregulated coenzyme binding. Significantly enriched biological processes were oxidation–reduction process (downregulated) and small molecule metabolic processes (upregulated). STRING protein interaction analysis indicated a complex interaction between dehydrogenase, transaminase, and ATP synthetase families. Reactome pathway analysis highlighted that the majority of DAPs participated in aerobic metabolic pathways such as metabolism, citric acid cycle, and respiratory electron transport. Immunoblotting confirmed that changes in FKBP4 and ATPAF2 expression were consistent with the results of mass spectrometry. We performed a high-throughput screening to identify DAPs in brain mitochondria between yak and cattle, which could explain the plateau adaptability of yaks.
Highlights
Yak (Bos grunniens) is a unique and economically important animal on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) [1]
To determine differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in mitochondria between yak and cattle, we utilized a proteomics approach based on isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) quantification
4,517 proteins were identified in the mitochondrial fraction samples, of which the global proteomic analysis detected a total of 370 proteins in yak and cattle brain tissue, each of which had at least two peptides identified with a minimum unused score of ≥1.3
Summary
Yak (Bos grunniens) is a unique and economically important animal on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) [1]. In response to the harsh natural environment of the QTP, yaks have developed adaptive traits for long-term storage of nutrients and for managing hypoxia, including structural changes in internal organs and highly efficient oxygen transport [5]. The brain only accounts for 2% of the total body weight, healthy brain tissue can obtain about 15% of the total cardiac output, and its oxygen consumption is as high as 20% of the total oxygen consumption of the body [7]. How such a high oxygen utilization rate is achieved in the nervous system has remained a mystery. An analysis of yak mitochondrial genes revealed their associations with mitochondrial and oxidative phosphorylation, suggesting that the yak energy metabolism-related genes may change under natural pressure [12, 13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
