Differences in proteomic profiles between yak and three cattle strains provide insights into molecular mechanisms underlying high‐altitude adaptation

• Published in: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition Vol. 106; no. 3; pp. 485 - 493
• Main Authors: Xin, Jin‐Wei, Chai, Zhi‐Xin, Zhang, Cheng‐Fu, Zhang, Qiang, Zhu, Yong, Cao, Han‐Wen, YangJi, Cidan, Chen, Xiao‐Ying, Jiang, Hui, Zhong, Jin‐Cheng, Ji, Qiu‐Mei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2022
• Subjects: Adaptation; Altitude; Bos grunniens; Bos taurus; Calcium channels; Calcium ions; Calcium release channels; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Cardiac muscle; cardiac muscle contraction; Cattle; Coronary artery disease; Cytochrome; Cytochrome P450; Cytochromes P450; Drug metabolism; Encyclopedias; Enrichment; Genomes; Heart; Heart diseases; high‐altitude adaptation; Huntington's disease; Huntingtons disease; Hypoxia; Immune response; Lungs; Mass spectra; Metabolism; Molecular modelling; Muscle contraction; Muscles; Muscular function; Peptides; Proteins; Proteomes; Proteomics; Receptors; retinol metabolism; Ryanodine receptors; Tissues; toll‐like receptor; Vitamin A; yak; high-altitude adaptation; yak; toll-like receptor; retinol metabolism; cardiac muscle contraction
• ISSN: 0931-2439; 1439-0396
• DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13629

Yaks display unique properties of the lung and heart, enabling their adaptation to high‐altitude environments, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. In the present study, the proteome differences in lung and heart tissues were compared between yak (Bos grunniens) and three cattle strains (Bos taurus, Holstein, Sanjiang and Tibetan cattle) using the sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra/data‐independent acquisition (SWATH/DIA) proteomic method. In total, 51,755 peptides and 7215 proteins were identified. In the lung tissue, there were 162, 310 and 118 differential abundance proteins (DAPs) in Tibetan, Holstein and Sanjiang cattle compared to yak respectively. In the heart tissue, there were 71, 57 and 78 DAPs in Tibetan, Holstein and Sanjiang cattle compared to yak respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the DAPs were enriched for the retinol metabolism and toll‐like receptor categories in lung tissue. The changes in these two pathways may regulate hypoxia‐induced factor and immune function in yaks. Moreover, DAPs in heart tissues were enriched for cardiac muscle contraction, Huntington's disease, chemical carcinogenesis and drug metabolism‐cytochrome P450. Further exploration indicated that yaks may alter cardiac function through regulation of type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and Ca2+‐release channels. The present results are useful to further develop an understanding of the mechanisms underlying adaptation of animals to high‐altitude conditions.