Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears
Reliable pregnancy diagnostics would be beneficial for monitoring polar bear (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) populations both in situ and ex situ, but currently there is no method of non-invasive pregnancy detection in this species. Recent reports in several carnivore species described the iden...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/796 |
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| author | Erin Curry Megan E. Philpott Jessye Wojtusik Wendy D. Haffey Michael A. Wyder Kenneth D. Greis Terri L. Roth |
| author_facet | Erin Curry Megan E. Philpott Jessye Wojtusik Wendy D. Haffey Michael A. Wyder Kenneth D. Greis Terri L. Roth |
| author_sort | Erin Curry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reliable pregnancy diagnostics would be beneficial for monitoring polar bear (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) populations both in situ and ex situ, but currently there is no method of non-invasive pregnancy detection in this species. Recent reports in several carnivore species described the identification of fecal proteins that may serve as pregnancy biomarkers; however, repeatability has been limited. The objective of the current analysis was to utilize an unbiased, antibody-free, label-free method for the identification and quantification of fecal proteins to determine if differences associated with pregnancy are detectable in polar bears. Protein was extracted from fecal samples (<i>n</i> = 48) obtained from parturient (<i>n</i> = 6) and non-parturient (<i>n</i> = 6) profiles each at four timepoints: pre-breeding season, embryonic diapause, early placental pregnancy, and mid-placental pregnancy. Protein was prepared and analyzed on the Thermo Orbitrap Eclipse nanoLC-MS/MS system. A total of 312 proteins was identified and quantified; however, coefficients of variation (CV) were high for both abundance ratio variability (384.8 ± 61.0% SEM) and within group variability (86.8 ± 1.5%). Results of this study suggest that the inconsistencies in specific protein concentrations revealed previously by antibody-based assays may not be due to that methodology’s limitations, but rather, are reflective of true variation that exists among samples. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:16:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f90669015e5469987f60f9dab887635 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:16:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f90669015e5469987f60f9dab8876352023-11-23T17:35:35ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292022-05-0112679610.3390/life12060796Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar BearsErin Curry0Megan E. Philpott1Jessye Wojtusik2Wendy D. Haffey3Michael A. Wyder4Kenneth D. Greis5Terri L. Roth6Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USACenter for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USACenter for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USAUC Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USAUC Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USAUC Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USACenter for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USAReliable pregnancy diagnostics would be beneficial for monitoring polar bear (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) populations both in situ and ex situ, but currently there is no method of non-invasive pregnancy detection in this species. Recent reports in several carnivore species described the identification of fecal proteins that may serve as pregnancy biomarkers; however, repeatability has been limited. The objective of the current analysis was to utilize an unbiased, antibody-free, label-free method for the identification and quantification of fecal proteins to determine if differences associated with pregnancy are detectable in polar bears. Protein was extracted from fecal samples (<i>n</i> = 48) obtained from parturient (<i>n</i> = 6) and non-parturient (<i>n</i> = 6) profiles each at four timepoints: pre-breeding season, embryonic diapause, early placental pregnancy, and mid-placental pregnancy. Protein was prepared and analyzed on the Thermo Orbitrap Eclipse nanoLC-MS/MS system. A total of 312 proteins was identified and quantified; however, coefficients of variation (CV) were high for both abundance ratio variability (384.8 ± 61.0% SEM) and within group variability (86.8 ± 1.5%). Results of this study suggest that the inconsistencies in specific protein concentrations revealed previously by antibody-based assays may not be due to that methodology’s limitations, but rather, are reflective of true variation that exists among samples.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/796wildlifenon-invasive monitoringpseudopregnancyembryonic diapausefecal proteomics |
| spellingShingle | Erin Curry Megan E. Philpott Jessye Wojtusik Wendy D. Haffey Michael A. Wyder Kenneth D. Greis Terri L. Roth Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears Life wildlife non-invasive monitoring pseudopregnancy embryonic diapause fecal proteomics |
| title | Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears |
| title_full | Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears |
| title_fullStr | Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears |
| title_full_unstemmed | Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears |
| title_short | Label-Free Quantification (LFQ) of Fecal Proteins for Potential Pregnancy Detection in Polar Bears |
| title_sort | label free quantification lfq of fecal proteins for potential pregnancy detection in polar bears |
| topic | wildlife non-invasive monitoring pseudopregnancy embryonic diapause fecal proteomics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/796 |
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