The impacts of high milk somatic cell count (SCC) on
different
milk fractions are not well understood. In this study, proteins in
milk exosomes, milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), and whey from cows
with low (<105 cells/mL, CG) and high SCC (>5 ×
105 cells/mL, HSG) were identified using a tandem mass
tag proteomic approach. In total, 1568, 2160, and 1002 proteins were
identified, with 65, 552, and 98 proteins being altered by high SCC
in exosomes, MFGM, and whey, respectively. With high SCC, the exosome
marker (ACTB) was increased in the exosomes of HSG. The main MFGM
proteins (BTN1A1, PLIN3, FABP3, and MFGE8) and functional proteins
(MUC1, IGSF5, TLR5, and CD36/14) were decreased, while the lipid/energy
metabolism-related proteins were increased in the MFGM of HSG. The
glycolysis-related proteins were increased in the whey of HSG. Also,
the host defense/inflammation-related proteins were changed in three
fractions under high SCCs. MFGM was the most sensitive fraction to
a high SCC, followed by whey. These findings provide guidance for
the early detection of unhealthy mammary glands.