iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis of sperm reveals candidate proteins that affect the quality of spermatozoa from boars on plateaus

BACKGROUND: Tibetan pigs (TP) exhibit heritable adaptations to their hypoxic environments as a result of natural selection. However, candidate proteins that affect the sperm quality of boars on plateaus have not yet been clearly investigated. METHODS: In this study, to reveal the candidate proteins that affect the quality of spermatozoa of boars on plateaus, we analyzed the sperm quality using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. We also compared the proteomes of sperm proteomes between TP and Yorkshire pigs (YP) raised at high altitudes using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) in combination with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proteomic method, and confirmed the relative expression levels of the four proteins by western blotting. RESULTS: The sperm quality of the TP was superior to that of the YP on plateaus. Of the 1,555 quantified proteins, 318 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the DEPs were predominantly associated with the sorbitol metabolic process, removal of superoxide radicals, cellular response to superoxide, response to superoxide and regulation of the mitotic spindle assembly. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were mainly enriched in pathways involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, glutathione metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and estrogen signaling. Based on the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we identified 8 candidate proteins (FN1, EGF, HSP90B1, CFL1, GPX4, NDUFA6, VDAC2, and CP) that might play important roles and affect the sperm quality of boars on plateaus. Moreover, the relative expression levels of four proteins (CFL1, EGF, FN1, and GPX4) were confirmed by western blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed 8 candidate proteins (FN1, EGF, HSP90B1, CFL1, GPX4, NDUFA6, VDAC2, and CP) that affect the sperm quality of boar on plateaus and provide a reference for further studies on improving sperm quality and the molecular breeding of boars on plateaus. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12953-021-00177-9.