Detection of hereditary bisalbuminemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821): comparison between capillary zone and agarose gel electrophoresis

Abstract

BackgroundHereditary bisalbuminemia is a relatively rare anomaly characterized by the occurrence of two albumin fractions on serum protein separation by electrophoresis. In human medicine, it is usually revealed by chance, is not been clearly associated with a specific disease and the causative genetic alteration is a point mutation of human serum albumin gene inherited in an autosomal codominant pattern. This type of alteration is well recognizable by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), whilst agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) not always produces a clear separation of albumin fractions. The aims of this study is to report the presence of this abnormality in two separate groups of related bottlenose dolphins and to compare the results obtained with capillary zone and agarose gel electrophoresis.ResultsSerum samples from 40 bottlenose dolphins kept under human care were analyzed. In 9 samples a double albumin peak was evident in CZE electrophoresis while no double peak was noted in AGE profile. Since only an apparently wider albumin peaks were noted in some AGE electrophoretic profiles, the ratio between base and height (b/h) of the albumin peak was calculated and each point-value recorded in the whole set of data was used to calculate a receiver operating characteristic curve: when the b/h ratio of albumin peak was equal or higher than 0.25, the sensitivity and specificity of AGE to detect bisalbuminemic samples were 87 and 63 %, respectively. The bisalbuminemic dolphins belong to two distinct families: in the first family, all the siblings derived from the same normal sire were bisalbuminemic, whereas in the second family bisalbuminemia was present in a sire and in two out of three siblings.ConclusionsWe report for the first time the presence of hereditary bisalbuminemia in two groups of related bottlenose dolphins identified by means of CZE and we confirm that AGE could fail in the identification of this alteration.

Acute Phase Proteins in Marine Mammals: State of Art, Perspectives and Challenges

“…Surely, age, sex and pregnancy could be used for partitioning (45, 72), but in marine mammals greater attention should be given to the difference between wild and managed animals. Serum protein electrophoresis values obtained in managed bottlenose dolphins showed lower total proteins and higher albumin levels compared to reference intervals derived from free-ranging (46) while 9 wild-caught manatees, apparently clinically healthy, had SAA level above reference limit (56). These data could indicate a trend to an inflammatory status or the presence of subclinical inflammation in free-ranging animals which are more exposed to immunological stimuli.…”

“…The interpretation of total proteins values and electrophoretic pattern of serum proteins is receiving increased attention also in marine mammals in which a typical pathologic pattern could be identified in inflammatory diseases (40). Reference intervals for these markers are available for free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (45) and, compared to these, recently data on managed dolphins showed slightly lower values of TP, α-globulins, and γ-globulins and higher albumin and albumin/globulins ratio (46).…”

Protein electrophoresis of non‐traditional species: A review

“…1,69,74 Differences between AGE and CZE, some of which are substantial, have been demonstrated for the mouse, rat, dog, marmoset, dolphin, cheetah, and cat. 45,48,69,75,76 Additional studies in various reptile species have demonstrated the necessity of method-specific RIs with the use of CZE in Hermann's tortoise, green turtle, red-eared slider, map turtle, panther chameleon, and boa constrictor. 29,47,[77][78][79] Differences in alpha and beta globulins were also reported in the black-headed ibis, chicken, black kite, and racing pigeon.…”

Increasing the data on elasmobranch plasma protein electrophoresis: electrophoretogram reference values determination in the undulate skate (Raja Undulata) and the nursehound shark (Scyliorhinus stellaris) maintained under human care

“…However, CZE, due to its higher accuracy and easiness of use through automatization, is increasingly replacing AGE as a research and diagnostic tool for PPE analysis in many species including marine animals [ 29 ]. CZE has proven to consistently resolve electrophoretogram protein fractions that are frequently not differentiated by using AGE [ 30 ]. Previous studies evaluating PPE in sharks and rays divided these species’ electrophoretograms into five fractions equivalent to pre-albumin, albumin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-globulins.…”