2-D DIGE analysis of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) testis proteome in wild-caught and hormone-treated F1 fish.

In the farmed flatfish Senegalese sole, F1 males reared in captivity often show lower sperm production and fertilization capacity than wild-caught males. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms that may be altered in the F1 testis, we used 2-D DIGE to compare the protein profiling of the testis of wild-caught males at the spermiation stage with that of F1 males showing different stages of germ cell development after hormone treatment in vivo. The abundance of 58 out of 1014 protein spots was found to differ significantly between the groups. De novo identification of these proteins by MS/MS revealed that proteins implicated in oxidoreductase activity, protein catabolism, formation of the zona pellucida receptor, cytoskeleton organization, and lipid binding and metabolism, were regulated in the F1 testes as germ cell development progressed. However, distinct isoforms or PTMs of some of these proteins, as well as of proteins involved in iron and glucose metabolism and ATP production, were expressed at lower levels in the testes of F1 males than in wild fish regardless of the hormone treatment. These results contribute to identifying proteins associated with spermatogenesis not previously described in teleosts, and suggest potential mechanisms that may be involved in the poor reproductive performance of Senegalese sole F1 males.