Abstract
Background: Chinese indigenous sheep can be classified into two types according to their tail morphology: fat-rumped and thin-tailed sheep, of which the typical breeds are Altay sheep and Tibetan sheep, respectively.Methods: To identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) underlying the phenotypic differences between tail types, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) combined with multi-dimensional liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology to detect candidate proteins. We then subjected these to a database search and identified the DEPs. Finally, bioinformatics technology was used to carry out Gene Ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses.Results: A total of 3,248 proteins were identified, of which 44 were up-regulated and 40 were down-regulated DEPs. Analyzing their GO function terms and KEGG pathways revealed that the functions of these DEPs are mainly binding, catalytic activity, structural molecule activity, molecular function regulator, and transporter activity. Among the genes encoding the DEPs, APOA2, GALK1, ADIPOQ, and NDUFS4 are associated with fat formation and metabolism.Conclusion: The APOA2, GALK1, ADIPOQ, and NDUFS4 genes may be involved in the deposition of fat in the tail of sheep. This study provides a scientific basis for the breeding of thin-tailed sheep.
Highlights
To enable their adaptation to various environments, long-term natural selection has produced sheep breeds differing starkly in their individual phenotypes
By comparing the information obtained by Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomics technology and the database results, 3,248 proteins were identified from 20,120 peptides by searching against the Uniprot_Ovis_aries_27827_20180612 database
The antibodies for WB were aggrecan mouse monoclonal antibody and rabbit polyclonal antibody (Abcam, Cambridge, United Kingdom); goat anti-rabbit IgG and goat anti-mouse IgG were labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as secondary antibodies. These results showed that the NDUFS4, GALK1, Apolipoprotein A2 (APOA2), and ADIPOQ genes are differentially expressed in tissues between fatrumped and thin-tailed sheep
Summary
To enable their adaptation to various environments, long-term natural selection has produced sheep breeds differing starkly in their individual phenotypes. The difference in tail type is one of the main changes in the evolutionary process of sheep. Proteomics Reveals Different Type Tail first domesticated (Moradi et al, 2012). The unique way of depositing fat in the tail or buttocks of sheep is considered a key change following the domestication process (Ryder, 1991). It is generally believed the fat stored in the tail can produce enough energy in extremely harsh geographical and climatic environments, playing a crucial role in the survival of sheep (Farahani et al, 2010). Chinese indigenous sheep can be classified into two types according to their tail morphology: fat-rumped and thin-tailed sheep, of which the typical breeds are Altay sheep and Tibetan sheep, respectively
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