Comparative proteomic analysis of Tibetan pig spermatozoa at high and low altitudes

Abstract

Background To illuminate the mechanisms underlying the high-altitude tolerance of Tibetan pig spermatozoa, proteomes of spermatozoa from Tibetan pigs raised in high and low altitudes were compared using a tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeled quantitative proteomics approach. Results A total of 77 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed DEPs that were predominantly associated with the actin cytoskeleton, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism, and were from 12 enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Three subnetworks were significantly enriched and 10 centric proteins were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Relative expression levels of the proteins (ATP5H, CYCS, MYH9 and FN1) were confirmed using Western blotting. Conclusions Our study is the first to use a tandem mass tag (TMT) approach to analyze Tibetan pig spermatozoa, and provides a foundation to understand the mechanisms underlying the reproductive adaptations of Tibetan pigs to high-altitude environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5873-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

iTRAQ-Based Sperm Proteomic Analyses Reveals Candidate Proteins Affecting the Quality of Spermatozoa From Boar on Plateaus

“…Tibetan pigs have survived at high altitudes for thousands of years and have adapted to tolerate the hypoxic environment. In our previous studies, we found that although the sperm VAP of Tibetan pigs was signi cantly lower in high-altitude plateau areas compared with low-altitude pigs, their sperm counts, motility and abnormality were equivalent [9]. In the present study, we found that the TP had superior sperm quality compared to the YP on plateaus.…”

“…Among the 8 candidate proteins, we found that the expression levels of four proteins (FN1, GPX4, VDAC2 and CP) were downregulated in TP spermatozoa, which were enriched in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, ferroptosis, and glutathione metabolism ( Table 2). Previous studies have found that bronectin 1 (FN1) is downregulated in spermatozoa of Tibetan pigs living at high versus low altitudes [9].…”

“…The comparative proteomes of prenatal muscle tissues among TP, Wujin pig and large White pig were analyzed using the isobaric tag for relative and absolute quanti cation (iTRAQ) [8]. Comparative proteomics of TP spermatozoa at high and low altitudes were analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the high-altitude tolerance of TP spermatozoa, which provides new insights into how the reproductive mechanisms of TP have adapted to tolerate high-altitude environments [9]. However, the sperm proteomes of TP and YP raised at high altitudes have not yet been compared.…”

iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis of sperm reveals candidate proteins that affect the quality of spermatozoa from boars on plateaus

“…Tibetan pigs (TP) is a unique and geographically isolated pig breed that inhabits high-altitude regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and exhibits heritable adaptations to its hypoxic environment as a result of natural selection [2]. Previously, we determined that the sperm motility of TP in low-altitude and highaltitude areas was 0.84 and 0.82, respectively (no significant difference) [3]. But we have determined that the sperm motility of Yorkshire pigs (YP) that migrated from the lowlands to the plateaus, was 0.80 and 0.73 respectively (a significant decrease).…”

Correction to: Comparative proteomic analysis of Tibetan pig spermatozoa at high and low altitudes

“…Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in one of the authors’ names. In this Correction the incorrect and correct author name are shown.…”