Comparative proteomics revealed molecular mechanisms underlying ovarian development in Thunnus albacares

The mechanisms supporting ovarian development remain enigmatic in Yellowfin Tuna ( Thunnus albacares ). The challenges posed by their breeding environments have thus far hindered efforts towards domestication. The present study employed label-free quantitative proteomics (LFQ) to systematically analyze and compare the protein expression profiles of ovarian tissues at juvenile and adult stages. We identified 6592 proteins via proteome sequencing, with 6014 proteins exhibited expression in both the juvenile and adult, 450 proteins were identified as juvenile-specific, and 128 proteins was adult-specific. 606 proteins displaying up-regulation and 959 proteins showing down-regulation (adult vs juvenile). With up-regulated proteins enriched in ribosome, oxidative phosphorylation and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, down-regulated proteins enriched in focal adhesion, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and chemokine signaling pathway. This study elucidated the molecular basis of gonadal development in yellowfin tuna and provided an important theoretical foundation for future efforts in artificial breeding and resource conservation of this species.