Not just fat: investigating the proteome of cetacean blubber tissue

Kershaw, J.L., Botting, C.H., Brownlow, A. and Hall, A.J. (2018) Not just fat: investigating the proteome of cetacean blubber tissue. Conservation Physiology, 6(1), coy003. (doi: 10.1093/conphys/coy003) (PMID:29479430) (PMCID:PMC5814904)

Abstract

Mammalian adipose tissue is increasingly being recognized as an endocrine organ involved in the regulation of a number of metabolic processes and pathways. It responds to signals from different hormone systems and the central nervous system, and expresses a variety of protein factors with important paracrine and endocrine functions. This study presents a first step towards the systematic analysis of the protein content of cetacean adipose tissue, the blubber, in order to investigate the kinds of proteins present and their relative abundance. Full depth blubber subsamples were collected from dead-stranded harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) (n = 21). Three total protein extraction methods were trialled, and the highest total protein yields with the lowest extraction variability were achieved using a RIPA cell lysis and extraction buffer based protocol. Extracted proteins were separated using 1D Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and identified using nanoflow Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization in tandem with Mass Spectrometry (nLC-ESI–MS/MS). A range of proteins were identified (n = 295) and classed into eight functional groups, the most abundant of which were involved in cell function and metabolism (45%), immune response and inflammation (15%) and lipid metabolism (11%). These proteins likely originate both from the various cell types within the blubber tissue itself, and from the circulation. They therefore have the potential to capture information on the cellular and physiological stresses experienced by individuals at the time of sampling. The importance of this proteomic approach is two-fold: Firstly, it could help to assign novel functions to marine mammal blubber in keeping with current understanding of the multi-functional role of adipose tissue in other mammals. Secondly, it could lead to the development of a suite of biomarkers to better monitor the physiological state and health of live individuals though remote blubber biopsy sampling.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors would like to thank the funders; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Marine Scotland for a number of long-term monitoring contracts awarded to the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, the Sea Mammal Research Unit National Capability Funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). This work was also supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 094476/Z/10/Z) which funded the purchase of the TripleTOF 5600 mass spectrometer at the Biomedical Sciences Research Complex (BSRC) Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, University of St Andrews.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Brownlow, Dr Andrew
• Authors: Kershaw, J.L., Botting, C.H., Brownlow, A., and Hall, A.J.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Conservation Physiology
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 2051-1434
• ISSN (Online): 2051-1434
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © The Author(s) 2018
• First Published: First published in Conservation Physiology 6(1):coy003
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence