Differential proteomic analysis of frozen tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets with quality characteristics by a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based strategy

Abstract

A tandem mass tag technology (TMT), based on the quantitative proteomics approach, was applied to investigate the associations between tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillet quality characteristics (pH, color, texture, ice crystal morphology and protein denaturation) and proteome profiles during a 12-month frozen storage period. When compared with the control group (0 day), a total of 175 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were found in tilapia muscle from two frozen storage temperatures (−20 °C and −40 °C). Correlation analysis between the DAPs and the quality traits showed that 80 DAPs were correlated closely with the quality traits. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that 49, 9 and 2 DAPs were involved in binding proteins, metabolic enzymes and protein turnover, respectively, which were mainly closely associated with color traits and protein denaturation. These results provide a further understanding of the proteome changes and mechanisms of the quality decline of tilapia during frozen storage.