Quantitative proteomic profiling indicates the difference in reproductive efficiency between Meishan and Duroc boar...

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Proteomics
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Meishan pigs demonstrate superior reproductive efficiency compared to Duroc pigs.
• The molecular mechanisms underlying this reproductive disparity are not well understood.
• Quantitative proteomic comparisons of boar spermatozoa between these breeds are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a systematic quantitative proteomic analysis comparing Meishan and Duroc boar spermatozoa.
• To identify differentially abundant proteins and elucidate their functional roles.
• To investigate the molecular basis for the higher reproductive efficiency in Meishan pigs.

Main Methods:

• iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) labeling coupled with mass spectrometry was employed.
• Quantitative proteomic analysis was performed on spermatozoa from Meishan and Duroc boars.
• Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze protein functions and pathways.

Main Results:

• A total of 1597 proteins were quantified, with 190 showing statistically significant differences between Meishan and Duroc spermatozoa.
• Differentially abundant proteins are primarily involved in energy metabolism, sperm motility, capacitation, and sperm-oocyte binding.
• Proteins positively correlated with litter size (e.g., SPAG6, LDHC) were more abundant in Meishan sperm, while proteins negatively correlated with farrowing rates (e.g., APOA1, NDUFS2) were less abundant.
• Key enzymes in Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis (e.g., HK1, LDHA, LDHC) were significantly upregulated in Meishan spermatozoa.
• Meishan boar spermatozoa exhibited higher levels of protein phosphorylation compared to Duroc boar spermatozoa.

Conclusions:

• Significant proteomic differences exist between Meishan and Duroc boar spermatozoa.
• Upregulated proteins related to energy metabolism and motility in Meishan sperm likely contribute to their higher reproductive efficiency.
• Distinct protein profiles, including phosphorylation levels, offer insights into the superior reproductive performance of Meishan pigs.