Blood proteome profiling for biomarker discovery in broilers with necrotic enteritis.

Area of Science:

• Proteomics
• Animal Health
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Necrotic enteritis (NE) significantly impacts poultry health, with intestinal changes well-documented but blood proteome alterations largely unexplored.
• Understanding blood proteome changes in NE is crucial for developing diagnostic tools for gastrointestinal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential blood proteome biomarkers for necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens using mass spectrometry.
• To evaluate the efficacy of different mass spectrometry strategies for NE biomarker discovery.

Main Methods:

• Untargeted, mass-spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics was performed on chicken blood plasma.
• Two MS strategies were employed: data-dependent acquisition (nano-DDA) and data-independent acquisition (Evo-DIA).
• Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and selected candidates were validated using ELISA and targeted MS.

Main Results:

• A high agreement was observed between nano-DDA and Evo-DIA MS strategies in protein identification and quantification.
• Fifteen differentially expressed proteins were identified as potential biomarkers for NE.
• Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated enrichment in immune response pathways.

Conclusions:

• Mass spectrometry-based proteomics effectively identifies blood biomarkers for NE in chickens.
• The identified proteins and pathways provide insights into the host response to NE.
• These findings may contribute to the development of novel diagnostic tools for poultry gastrointestinal health.