ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8429-3557
Current Organisation
University of Zurich
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPROT.2018.02.018
Abstract: The effect of feed restriction on the liver protein profiles of two different breeds of sheep was studied. We compared Merino with the Damara, breeds with respectively low and high tolerance to nutritional stress. Each breed was grouped into two nutritional treatments: restricted (12-14% loss of live weight) and control (maintenance). The trial lasted 42 days. Animals were sacrificed and liver s les subjected to label free shotgun proteomics. The resultant proteins had both their fold change and statistical significance in an unpaired t-test calculated to identify differential protein abundance. The tool WebGestalt was utilized to perform an Overrepresentation Enrichment Analysis (ORA) for gene ontology terms associated with the significant proteins. We further validated shotgun proteomics findings using a selected reaction monitoring (SRM)-based targeted proteomics approach, where similar trends in regulation were obtained for a subset of relevant proteins across an independent cohort of animals. Results confirm that Damara has adapted to nutritional stress by mobilizing stored fatty acids within adipose tissue and converting them to energy more efficiently than Merino. Finally, Merino had an overabundance pattern primarily directed to protein synthesis pathways. Regulated proteins identified may be used as a basis for marker selection towards tolerance to nutritional stress. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Sheep are one of the most important livestock animals. They remain however poorly understudied and described. Seasonal weight loss (SWL) due to pasture scarcity during the dry season is one of the most limiting conditions to ruminant production in the tropics. To counter SWL, farmers may use supplementation, expensive or difficult to implement. A more suitable long-term solution would be to use breeds that are naturally adapted to nutritional stress. This work contrasts two breeds with different levels of tolerance to SWL, the Damara and the Merino, respectively well and poorly adapted. Comparison is conducted at the level of the hepatic tissue and using label free proteomics. This work identifies a series of pathways in the liver of the Damara via label free proteomics that suggest a unique fatty acid metabolic process within this breed. Proteins that have increased abundance in the Damara in association with fatty acid metabolism may be used as potential markers of tolerance to nutritional stress. This research will pave the way for more viable, long-term solutions for farmers facing annual production problems due to drought in the tropics and the Mediterranean region.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPROT.2017.03.020
Abstract: Seasonal Weight Loss (SWL) is one of the most pressing issues in animal production in the tropics and Mediterranean. This work aims to characterize muscle proteome changes as a consequence of SWL in meat producing sheep, using a label-free proteomics approach. We compare three breeds: the Australian Merino (SWL susceptible), the Damara (SWL tolerant) and the Dorper (SWL intermediate tolerance). We identified 668 proteins of the sheep proteome, 95 with differential regulation. Also we observe that the more vulnerable to SWL a breed is, the more differential abundance proteins we find. Protein binding was the most frequently altered molecular function identified. We suggest 6 putative markers for restricted nutritional conditions independently of breed: ferritin heavy-chain immunoglobulin V lambda chain transgelin fatty acid synthase glutathione S-transferase A2 dihydrodiol dehydrogenase 3-like. Moreover, we suggest as related to SWL tolerance: S100-A10 Serpin A3-5-like and Catalase, subject however to necessary validation assays. The identification of SWL-tolerance related proteins using proteomics will lead to increased stock productivity of relevant interest to animal production, particularly if identified at the muscle level, the tissue of economic importance in meat production. Seasonal Weight Loss (SWL) is the most pressing issue in animal production in the tropics and the Mediterranean. To counter SWL, farmers often use animal breeds that have a natural ability to withstand pasture scarcity. Here we study the sheep muscle proteome at the muscle level, the tissue of economic importance in meat production. Furthermore, the identification of proteins that change their abundance in response to SWL using proteomics can contribute to increased stock productivity of relevant interest to animal production. We identified 668 proteins of the sheep proteome. We demonstrate that the following proteins are affected by restricted nutritional conditions: ferritin heavy chain immunoglobulin V lambda chain transgelin fatty acid synthase glutathione S-transferase A2 dihydrodiol dehydrogenase 3-like. Furthermore, S100-A10, Serpin A3-5-like and Catalase are proteins that changed their abundance in response to SWL. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that Catalase values for the merino breed were close to significance and therefore catalase validation is of utmost importance.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-01-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-020-20682-3
Abstract: Consuming the milk of other species is a unique adaptation of Homo sapiens , with implications for health, birth spacing and evolution. Key questions nonetheless remain regarding the origins of dairying and its relationship to the genetically-determined ability to drink milk into adulthood through lactase persistence (LP). As a major centre of LP ersity, Africa is of significant interest to the evolution of dairying. Here we report proteomic evidence for milk consumption in ancient Africa. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) we identify dairy proteins in human dental calculus from northeastern Africa, directly demonstrating milk consumption at least six millennia ago. Our findings indicate that pastoralist groups were drinking milk as soon as herding spread into eastern Africa, at a time when the genetic adaptation for milk digestion was absent or rare. Our study links LP status in specific ancient in iduals with direct evidence for their consumption of dairy products.
No related grants have been discovered for Paolo Nanni.