A comparative proteomic analysis of skin secretions of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and the wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

Kiran Ambatipudi, Janice Joss, Elizabeth Deane*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The secretome of the pouch skin of the model marsupial the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii has been investigated using techniques of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, in-gel trypsin digestion followed by nanoliquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differences in the patterns of secreted proteins were observed in the female pouch at three stages of maturity - reproductively immature; reproductively mature and active and mature, postreproductively active. Skin from the underarm area of mature females had a markedly different secreted protein profile. The greatest diversity of proteins was seen in the mature reproductive pouch and from an opportunistic sample collected from the pouch another mature female marsupial, the common wombat, Vombatus ursinus. A total of 20 proteins were confidently identified from the pouch skin secretions of the tammar wallaby and wombats, whilst 20 proteins were tentatively identified. In all skin secretomes, globins were the most abundant proteins whilst the antimicrobial, dermcidin was detected in the wombat sample. Some proteins such as keratin and actin could be sourced to sloughed and degraded skin cells. A number of proteins were present at such low concentrations that confident identification was not possible. This was compounded by the lack of a comprehensive database of marsupial proteins which constrains the reliability of automated identification protocols.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)322-331
Number of pages10
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part D: Genomics and Proteomics
Volume2
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • Electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry
  • Epithelium
  • Marsupials
  • Secretome
  • Skin
  • Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

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