Zhou Bin, Zhang Bohao, Han Jiangyuan, Zhang Junjun, Li Jianfu, Dong Weitao, Zhao Xingxu, Zhang Yong, Zhang Quanwei
College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730030, China.
Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou 730070, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Dec 4;25(23):13046. doi: 10.3390/ijms252313046.
Clinical mastitis (CM) is a prevalent and severe inflammatory disease in dairy cows affecting the mammary glands. Fatty acid (FA) metabolism and associated enzymes are crucial for many physiological and pathological processes in dairy cows. However, the relationships among FA metabolism, FA-associated enzymes, and CM, as well as the mechanisms underlying their interactions, in dairy cows are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to characterize biological process (BP) terms, pathways, and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) related to FA metabolism from our previous data-independent acquisition proteomic study. Six BPs involving 14 downregulated and 20 upregulated DEPs, and four pathways involving 10 downregulated and 11 upregulated DEPs related to FA synthesis and metabolism were systematically identified. Associated analysis suggested that 12 candidate DEPs obtained from BPs and pathways, especially acyl-CoA thioesterase 7 (ACOT7), regulate long-chain FA (LCFA) elongation and the biosynthesis of unsaturated FAs. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining results showed that ACOT7 was present mainly in the cytoplasm of mammary epithelial cells. The qRT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that mRNA and protein levels in the mammary glands of the CM group were significantly upregulated compared to those in the healthy group. This evidence indicates that ACOT7 is positively correlated with CM onset and progression in Holstein cows. These findings offer novel insights into the role of FA metabolism and related enzymes in CM and offer potential targets for the development of therapeutic strategies and biomarkers for the prevention and treatment of CM in dairy cows.
临床型乳腺炎（CM）是奶牛中一种普遍且严重的影响乳腺的炎症性疾病。脂肪酸（FA）代谢及相关酶对奶牛的许多生理和病理过程至关重要。然而，奶牛中FA代谢、FA相关酶与CM之间的关系及其相互作用的潜在机制尚未完全明确。本研究的目的是从我们之前的数据非依赖型采集蛋白质组学研究中，对与FA代谢相关的生物学过程（BP）术语、途径和差异表达蛋白（DEP）进行表征。系统鉴定出了6个涉及14个下调和20个上调DEP的BP，以及4个涉及10个下调和11个上调DEP的与FA合成和代谢相关的途径。关联分析表明，从BP和途径中获得的12个候选DEP，尤其是酰基辅酶A硫酯酶7（ACOT7），调节长链FA（LCFA）的延长和不饱和FA的生物合成。免疫组织化学和免疫荧光染色结果显示，ACOT7主要存在于乳腺上皮细胞的细胞质中。qRT-PCR和蛋白质免疫印迹结果显示，与健康组相比，CM组奶牛乳腺中的mRNA和蛋白质水平显著上调。这一证据表明，ACOT7与荷斯坦奶牛CM的发生和发展呈正相关。这些发现为FA代谢和相关酶在CM中的作用提供了新的见解，并为奶牛CM预防和治疗的治疗策略和生物标志物的开发提供了潜在靶点。
