iTRAQ quantitative analysis of plasma proteome changes of cow from pregnancy to lactation

Dairy cows undergo tremendous changes in physiological, metabolism and the immune function from pregnancy to lactation that are associated with cows being susceptible to metabolic and infectious diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the changes of plasma proteome on 21 d before expected calving and 1 d after calving from dairy cows using an integrated proteomic approach consisting of minor abundance protein enrichment by ProteoMiner beads, protein labeling by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification, and protein identification by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Nineteen proteins were changed around the time of calving. These proteins were associated with response to stress, including acute-phase response and defense response, based on the proteins annotation. In particular, three up-regulated proteins after calving including factor V, α2-antiplasmin and prothrombin were assigned into the complement and coagulation pathway. These results may provide new information in elucidating host response to lactation and parturition stress, and inflammatory-like conditions at the protein level. Differential proteins may serve as potential markers to regulate the lactation and parturition stress in periparturient dairy cows.