Blubber Proteome Response to Fasting in Adult Female Elephant Seals

Poster Number

06C

Lead Author Major

Pre-Dentistry

Lead Author Status

Senior

Second Author Major

Pre-Dentistry

Second Author Status

Sophomore

Third Author Major

Pre-Dentistry

Format

Poster Presentation

Faculty Mentor Name

Jane Khudyakov

Faculty Mentor Department

Biological Sciences

Graduate Student Mentor Name

Jared Deyarmin

Graduate Student Mentor Department

Biological Sciences

Additional Mentors

Graduate Mentor:

Ryan Hekman, rhekman@PACIFIC.EDU, Biology

Abstract/Artist Statement

Marine mammals such as elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are unique in their ability to fast from food for months while undergoing energetically demanding processes such as molting and reproduction on land. To gain insights into energy provisioning during fasting, we examined protein expression in the energy­ rich inner blubber tissue layer collected from adult female elephant seals at the beginning and end of their month­long molting fast. We developed tissue lysis and protein extraction methods for marine mammal blubber shotgun proteomics using phenol­chloroform. Changes in protein abundance and composition in blubber during fasting were analyzed using isobaric labeling and orbitrap mass spectrometry. We were able to identify and annotate hundreds of proteins using a blubber transcriptome as reference. These included proteins involved in hormone signalling pathways, such as glucagon, estrogen, insulin, and aldosterone, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, protein digestion, absorption, and processing, biosynthesis of amino acids, immune signaling, and many others. This work lends insights into metabolic homeostasis during fasting in adipose tissue, validates previous transcriptome analyses, and yields protein sequence information for further targeted assays.

Location

DeRosa University Center, Ballroom

Start Date

28-4-2018 10:00 AM

End Date

28-4-2018 12:00 PM

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Apr 28th, 10:00 AM Apr 28th, 12:00 PM

Blubber Proteome Response to Fasting in Adult Female Elephant Seals

DeRosa University Center, Ballroom

Marine mammals such as elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are unique in their ability to fast from food for months while undergoing energetically demanding processes such as molting and reproduction on land. To gain insights into energy provisioning during fasting, we examined protein expression in the energy­ rich inner blubber tissue layer collected from adult female elephant seals at the beginning and end of their month­long molting fast. We developed tissue lysis and protein extraction methods for marine mammal blubber shotgun proteomics using phenol­chloroform. Changes in protein abundance and composition in blubber during fasting were analyzed using isobaric labeling and orbitrap mass spectrometry. We were able to identify and annotate hundreds of proteins using a blubber transcriptome as reference. These included proteins involved in hormone signalling pathways, such as glucagon, estrogen, insulin, and aldosterone, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, protein digestion, absorption, and processing, biosynthesis of amino acids, immune signaling, and many others. This work lends insights into metabolic homeostasis during fasting in adipose tissue, validates previous transcriptome analyses, and yields protein sequence information for further targeted assays.