Comparative analysis of the skim milk and milk fat globule membrane proteomes produced by Jersey cows grazing pastures with different plant species diversity.

The objective of this experiment was to identify and characterize the bovine milk proteome within the skim milk fraction and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM)-associated fraction from 16 organically certified lactating Jersey cows after a short term of grazing pastures with or without annual forage crops (AFC). Cows were offered a partial mixed ration (∼60% of dry matter intake) and approximately 40% of their total dry matter intake as herbage. Eight cows were offered a cool-season grass-legume herbage (GLH), which included orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), timothy (Phleum pratense), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and white clover (Trifolium repens). The other 8 cows were offered the same GLH strip-tilled with the AFC, including oat (Avena sativa), millet (Pennisetum glaucum), teff (Eragrostis tef), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and chickling vetch (Lathyrus sativus). Milk samples were collected from each cow during a.m. and p.m. milkings on d 19 to 21 of grazing, and composite milk samples per cow were analyzed for (1) the high-abundance milk protein profile, (2) the skim milk low-abundance protein-enriched proteome, and (3) the MFGM proteome. Of the 443 proteins identified in the skim and MFGM proteomes, 433 were included in statistical analysis, including 68 proteins identified in the skim milk fraction and 365 in the MFGM-associated fraction. Analysis of the skim and MFGM proteomes encompassed unique gene ontology profiles and proportions of functional classifications. In response to diet, α-casein as well as 8 low-abundance proteins were present in higher concentration or abundance in milk from cows grazing the GLH strip-tilled with the AFC compared with milk from cows grazing GLH, suggesting that even short-term grazing of pastures including some AFC may affect the milk proteome.