ABSTRACT
To explore the protein expression profiles of white yak (Bos grunniens) testis at different sexual developmental stages. The protein profiles of yak testis were determined using two-dimensional electrophoresis and the expression levels of 298 protein spots were analyzed. Mass spectrometry was performed to identify those significantly differential expressed proteins; Western blotting was used to confirm the results. During the developmental stages, 29 protein spots showed more than twofold differences (p < 0.05) at ≥1 time point and were successfully identified. Two proteins were upregulated with age (category 1), five proteins (17.2%) were downregulated with age (category 2), four proteins were upregulated before 4 years of age and downregulated thereafter (category 3), fifteen proteins were upregulated before 2 years of age and downregulated thereafter (category 4), and three proteins fluctuated with age (category 5). The expression patterns of regucalcin and heat shock 60 kDa protein in category 2 were confirmed. The 29 differentially expressed proteins from yak testes (some had more than one function) were categorized into binding (n = 15), catalytic activity (n = 13), molecular function regulator (n = 4), antioxidant (n = 4), molecular transducer (n = 2), transporter (n = 1), and structural molecule (n = 1). The identification and analysis of these testis proteins may assist in understanding the developmental biology of reproduction system in male yak.
