Environment, endocrinology, and biochemistry influence expression of stress proteins in bottlenose dolphins

• Published in: Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part D, Genomics & proteomics Genomics & proteomics, 2019-12, Vol.32, p.100613, Article 100613
• Main Authors: Wilson, Abbey E., Fair, Patricia A., Carlson, Ruth I., Houde, Magali, Cattet, Marc, Bossart, Gregory D., Houser, Dorian S., Janz, David M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Blood Proteins - metabolism; Bottle-Nosed Dolphin - metabolism; Bottle-Nosed Dolphin - physiology; Conservation; Dolphin; Ecosystem; Female; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Leukocytes - metabolism; Male; Microarray; Physiology; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Proteomics; Skin; Skin - metabolism; Stress; Stress, Physiological; Tursiops truncatus
• ISSN: 1744-117X; 1878-0407
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2019.100613

Natural and anthropogenic stressors have been reported to impact the health of marine mammals. Therefore, investigation of quantifiable biomarkers in response to stressors is required. We hypothesized that stress protein expression would be associated with biological and health variables in wild and managed-care bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). To test this hypothesis, our study objectives were to (1) determine if stress proteins in skin, white blood cells (WBCs), and plasma could be measured with an antibody-based microarray, (2) measure stress-protein expression relative to biological data (location, sex, age, environment), and (3) determine if stress-protein expression was associated with endocrine, hematological, biochemical and serological variables and gene expression in bottlenose dolphins. Samples were collected from two wild groups (n = 28) and two managed-care groups (n = 17). Proteins involved in the HPA axis, apoptosis, proteotoxicity, and inflammation were identified as stress proteins. The expression of 3 out of 33 proteins was significantly (P