TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE PLASMA PROTEOME OF A MARINE MAMMAL

Author

Emily Voelkner, University of the PacificFollow

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Department

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Jane Khudyakov

First Committee Member

Craig Vierra

Second Committee Member

Zachary Stahlschmidt

Abstract

The physiological stress response enables animals to respond to changes in their environment, and is mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in mammals. Increased activation of the HPA axis by repeated stress during critical life stages like reproduction could affect fitness. Information about a stressor can be communicated to offspring via hormone signals prenatally, or postnatally via milk, and affect offspring development and stress reactivity. Experimentally activating the HPA axis by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) administration results in the synthesis of the major glucocorticoid hormone cortisol, which has well-studied far-reaching effects on growth, metabolism, and immunity. Beyond cortisol levels alone, biomarkers of the stress response in a wild marine animal were explored using proteomics. Lactating female northern elephant seals received an ACTH challenge, and LC-MS/MS analysis was used to profile the plasma proteome of treated females and their pups before and after weaning. ACTH treatment elevated cortisol in females, their milk, and their suckling pups. In response to repeated HPA activation, plasma proteins involved in lipid metabolism, immune function, iron provisioning, growth, and hormone transport were successfully identified by LC-MS/MS. This novel characterization of the plasma proteome of a lactating wild marine mammal and offspring provide unique insight into how repeated, or chronic, stress might affect female physiology, maternal provisioning, offspring postnatal development, and potentially, their future stress reactivity.

Pages

83

Recommended Citation

Voelkner, Emily. (2024). TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE PLASMA PROTEOME OF A MARINE MAMMAL. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/4311