Exploring the in vivo digestion of plant proteins in broiler chickens.

The use of various protein sources (industry by-products, proteaginous) in poultry diets requires a greater understanding of protein digestion mechanisms. The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular actors required for protein digestion in broilers fed 4 different diets containing soybean meal, rapeseed meal, pea, or corn distiller's dried grain with solubles as the only protein source. The digesta of the digestive tract segments were collected and soluble proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed 5 ubiquitous bands in digesta of all digestive tract segments regardless of the diet, whereas 3 bands were diet-specific. The digesta of the jejunum were further submitted to proteomic analysis. Forty-two proteins of chicken origin and 17 plant proteins were identified in digesta samples by mass spectrometry. Fifteen proteins of chicken origin were specific to one diet and 18 were common to all diets. By homology with mammals, these proteins are thought to be involved in protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and nucleic acid metabolism and also in intestinal homeostasis. Some of the 17 plant proteins were found to be not fully digested (soybean meal, rapeseed meal, and pea diets) and others were identified as protease inhibitors (soybean meal and pea diets). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the physiological proteins involved in the digestion of 4 protein sources used in broiler diets. Such an approach, combined with the analysis of insoluble components of these different protein sources, would contribute to define whether these protein sources could be more largely used in poultry nutrition. It also would allow identifying ways to improve their digestibility in broiler chickens (feed additives such as exogenous proteases or processing to inactivate anti-nutritional factors, for instance).

Characterization of egg white antibacterial properties during the first half of incubation: A comparative study between embryonated and unfertilized eggs.

Egg white is an important contributor to the protection of eggs against bacterial contaminations during the first half of incubation (day zero to 12), prior to the egg white transfer into the amniotic fluid to be orally absorbed by the embryo. This protective system relies on an arsenal of antimicrobial proteins and on intrinsic physicochemical properties that are generally unfavorable for bacterial multiplication and dissemination. Some changes in these parameters can be observed in egg white during egg storage and incubation. The aim of this work was to characterize changes in the antibacterial potential of egg white in embryonated eggs (FE) during the first half of incubation using unfertilized eggs (UF) as controls. Egg white samples were collected at day zero, 4, 8, and 12 and analyzed for pH, protein concentration, and protein profile. Antibacterial properties of egg white proteins were evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus uberis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Enteritidis. During incubation, differential variations of egg white pH and protein concentrations were observed between UF and FE. At equal protein concentrations, similar activities against L. monocytogenes and S. uberis were observed for FE and UF egg white proteins. A progressive decline in these activities, however, was observed over incubation time, regardless of the egg group (UF or FE). SDS-PAGE analysis of egg white proteins during incubation revealed discrete changes in the profile of major proteins, whereas the stability of some less abundant antimicrobial proteins seemed more affected. To conclude, the antibacterial activity of egg white proteins progressively decreased during the first half of egg incubation, possibly resulting from the alteration of specific antimicrobial proteins. This apparent decline may be partly counterbalanced in embryonated eggs by the increase in egg white protein concentration. The antibacterial potential of egg white is very effective during early stages of embryonic development but its alteration during incubation suggests that extra-embryonic structures could then progressively ensure protective functions.

Photoperiod affects the cerebrospinal fluid proteome: a comparison between short day- and long day-treated ewes.

Photoperiod is the main physical synchronizer of seasonal functions and a key factor in the modulation of molecule access to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in animals. Previous work has shown that photoperiod affects the transfer rate of steroids and protein hormones from blood to CSF and modulates choroid plexus tight junction protein content. We hypothesized that the CSF proteome would also be modified by photoperiod. We tested this hypothesis by comparing CSF obtained from the third ventricle of mature, ovariectomized, estradiol-replaced ewes exposed to long day length (LD) or short day length (SD). Variations in CSF protein expression between SD- or LD-treated ewes were studied in pools of CSF collected for 48 h. Proteins were precipitated, concentrated, and included in a polyacrylamide gel without protein fractionation. After in-gel tryptic digestion of total protein samples, we analyzed the resulting peptides by nanoliquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS/MS). Quantitative analysis was performed using 2 methods based on spectral counting and extracted ion chromatograms. Among 103 identified proteins, 41 were differentially expressed between LD and SD ewes (with P < 0.05 and at least a 1.5-fold difference). Of the 41 differentially expressed proteins, 22 were identified by both methods and 19 using extracted ion chromatograms only. Eighteen proteins were more abundant in LD ewes and 23 were more abundant in SD ewes. These proteins are involved in numerous functions including hormone transport, immune system activity, metabolism, and angiogenesis. To confirm proteomic results, 2 proteins, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and gelsolin, for each individual sample of CSF collected under SD or LD were analyzed with Western blots. These results suggest an important photoperiod-dependent change in CSF proteome composition. Nevertheless, additional studies are required to assess the role of each protein in seasonal functions.

The identification of proteomic markers of sperm freezing resilience in ram seminal plasma.

The source and composition of seminal plasma has previously been shown to alter the ability of spermatozoa to survive cryopreservation. In the present study, the ionic and proteomic composition of seminal plasma from rams with high (HSP; n = 3) or low (LSP; n = 3) freezing resilient spermatozoa was assessed. 75 proteins were identified to be more abundant in HSP and 48 proteins were identified to be more abundant in LSP. Individual seminal plasma proteomes were established for each of the six rams examined. For each ram, correlations were conducted between previously recorded freezing resilience [1] and individual spectral counts in order to identify markers of freezing resilience. 26S proteasome complex, acylamino acid releasing enzyme, alpha mannosidase class 2C, heat shock protein 90, tripeptidyl-peptidase 2, TCP-1 complex, sorbitol dehydrogenase and transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase were found to be positively correlated (r(2) > 0.7) with freezing resilience. Cystatin, zinc-2-alpha glycoprotein, angiogenin-2-like protein, cartilage acidic protein-1, cathepsin B and ribonuclease 4 isoform 1 were found to be negatively correlated (r(2) > 0.7) with freezing resilience. Several negative markers were found to originate from the accessory sex glands, whereas many positive markers originated from spermatozoa and were part of or associated with the 26S proteasome or CCT complex.

Ram seminal plasma proteome and its impact on liquid preservation of spermatozoa.

Seminal plasma is composed of secretions from the epididymis and the accessory sex glands and plays a critical role in the fertilising ability of spermatozoa. In rams, analysis of seminal plasma by GeLC-MS/MS has allowed the identification of more than 700 proteins, including a high abundance of Binder of Sperm family proteins (BSP1, BSP5, SPADH1, SPADH2), the spermadhesin family (bodhesin2), lactoferrin and newly identified proteins like UPF0762 (C6orf58 gene). When spermatogenesis was stopped by scrotal insulation, changes in the proteome profile revealed the sperm origin of 40 seminal proteins, such as glycolysis pathway enzymes, the chaperonin containing TCP1 (CCT) complex and the 26S proteasome complex. Sperm mobility after liquid preservation (24h in milk at 15°C) is male dependent and can be correlated to differences in the seminal plasma proteome, detected by spectral counting. The negative association of zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) with semen preservation was confirmed by the use of recombinant human ZAG, which induced an increase in mobility of fresh sperm, but then decreased sperm mobility after 24h of incubation. Several sperm membrane proteins interacting with the cytoskeleton, glycolysis enzymes and sperm-associated proteins involved in capacitation correlated with better liquid storage and can be considered as seminal biomarkers of sperm preservation. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Extensive analysis of the ram seminal plasma proteome reveals a complex and diverse protein composition. This composition varies between males with different sperm preservation abilities. Several proteins were shown to originate from the spermatozoa and positively correlate with sperm liquid preservation, indicating that these proteins can be traced as sperm biomarkers within the seminal plasma. The zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) was found to have a biphasic effect on sperm mobility, with a short-term stimulation followed by a long-term exhaustion of sperm mobility after a 24h preservation period.

Proteomic characterization and cross species comparison of mammalian seminal plasma.

Seminal plasma contains a large protein component which has been implicated in the function, transit and survival of spermatozoa within the female reproductive tract. However, the identity of the majority of these proteins remains unknown and a direct comparison between the major domestic mammalian species has yet to be made. As such, the present study characterized and compared the seminal plasma proteomes of cattle, horse, sheep, pig, goat, camel and alpaca. GeLC-MS/MS and shotgun proteomic analysis by 2D-LC-MS/MS identified a total of 302 proteins in the seminal plasma of the chosen mammalian species. Nucleobindin 1 and RSVP14, a member of the BSP (binder of sperm protein) family, were identified in all species. Beta nerve growth factor (bNGF), previously identified as an ovulation inducing factor in alpacas and llamas, was identified in this study in alpaca and camel (induced ovulators), cattle, sheep and horse (spontaneous ovulators) seminal plasma. These findings indicate that while the mammalian species studied have common ancestry as ungulates, their seminal plasma is divergent in protein composition, which may explain variation in reproductive capacity and function. The identification of major specific proteins within seminal plasma facilitates future investigation of the role of each protein in mammalian reproduction. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This proteomic study is the first study to compare the protein composition of seminal plasma from seven mammalian species including two camelid species. Beta nerve growth factor, previously described as the ovulation inducing factor in camelids is shown to be the major protein in alpaca and camel seminal plasma and also present in small amounts in bull, ram, and horse seminal plasma.