title: Comparison of Integrated Responses to Nonlethal and Lethal Hypothermal Stress in Milkfish (Chanos chanos): A Proteomics Study.
abstract: Milkfish is an important aquaculture species in Taiwan, and its high mortality during cold snaps in winter usually causes huge economic losses. To understand the effect of hypothermal stress and the corresponding compensatory stress response in milkfish, this study aimed to compare liver and gill protein levels between milkfish exposed to nonlethal (18°C), lethal (16°C), and control (28°C) temperatures. Using a proteomics approach based on two-dimensional electrophoresis and nano-LC-MS/MS analysis, this study identified thirty unique protein spots from milkfish livers and gills for which protein abundance was significantly different between nonlethal, lethal, and control temperature groups. Proteins identified in the liver were classified into three different categories according to their cellular function: (1) anti-oxidative stress, (2) apoptotic pathway, and (3) cytoskeleton. Similarly, proteins identified in the gill were sorted in five different functional categories: (1) cytoskeleton, (2) immune response, (3) protein quality control, (4) energy production, and (5) intracellular homeostasis. Based on functional information derived from the identified proteins, we assumed that different levels of hypothermal stress had a different effect and induced a different cellular response. Upon nonlethal hypothermal stress, the identified proteins were involved in anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation pathways, suggesting that milkfish had high levels of oxidative stress in the liver and exhibited inflammation response in the gill. Upon lethal hypothermal stress, however, identified proteins were associated with apoptosis in the liver and regulation of intracellular homeostasis in the gill. The present study provided evidence to illustrate different multi-physiological responses to nonlethal and lethal hypothermal stress in milkfish livers and gills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 709, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Kai
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Hung Kuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.|Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Han
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee