Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Erythropoiesis Tissue Head Kidney Among three Antarctic Fish Species

Abstract Antarctic icefish is the only known vertebrate species that lacks oxygen-carrying hemoglobin and functional erythrocytes. To reveal the unique hematopoietic process of icefish, we used an integrated approach including tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify the dynamic changes in the head kidney whole proteome of a white-blooded icefish, Chionodraco hamatus, compared to those in two other red-blooded Antarctic fish, Trematomus bernacchii and Notothenia coriiceps. Of the 4,672 identified proteins, in the Antarctic ice fish head kidney, 123 proteins were significantly up-regulated and 95 proteins were down-regulated. The functional grouping of differentially expressed proteins based on KEGG pathway analysis shows that white blood fish and red blood fish have significant differences in erythropoiesis, heme biogenesis, leucocyte and platelet cell development. The proteins involved in the hematopoietic process in icefish showed a clear trend of downregulation of erythroid lineage marker proteins and upregulation of lymphoid and megakaryocytic lineage marker proteins, including CD9, ITGB2, and MTOR, which suggests a shift in hematopoiesis in the icefish head kidney due to the loss of erythrocytes. The results of the present study not only provide basic datasets for the head kidney proteins of Antarctic fishes, but also provide important references for studies on immunity and hematopoiesis in various species.